The Air Force and Boeing have upgraded the bomb bay launchers in six B-52 bombers, allowing the aircraft to carry smart bombs in the weapons bay for the first time. The upgrade is needed as the B-52s eventually transition from the Conventional Air-Launched Cruise Missiles to the Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile-Extended Range, said Col. Tim Dickinson, USAF’s B-52 program director, in a Boeing release. The upgrade modifies the B-52s existing common strategic rotary launcher to increase the total number of weapons the B-52 can carry. The launchers can carry eight GPS-guided Joint Direct Attack Munitions, with future upgrades coming that will allow the launchers to carry standoff missile and Miniature Air Launched Decoys, according to Boeing. (See also: Carlisle Provides JSTARS and JASSM-ER Update.)
Pentagon Cancels $6B GPS Ground System Contract
April 20, 2026
The Pentagon has canceled its contract with RTX to field a ground segment to manage its most capable GPS satellites, a more than 15-year effort beleaguered by software development issues and cost overages.