The B-1B Lancer — the supersonic Cold War bomber pilots call the “Bone” — is getting a powerful upgrade. Boeing’s new modular “Lego” pylons will let it carry up to 36 missiles, including hypersonic weapons too large for its internal bays. First built in the 1970s to penetrate Soviet airspace and revived under Reagan, the 45 remaining B-1Bs will bridge the gap until the B-21 Raider arrives — a reinvention sure to draw notice in China and Russia.
The B-1B Lancer Just Won’t Go Away
The B-1B Lancer, known to its pilots as the “Bone” for B-One, is still an integral part of the triad of long-range bombers in the US Air Force’s fleet.
The US Air Force currently has 45 B-1B Lancer bombers in active service. This number has been maintained due to Congressional mandates. The fleet initially comprised 100 aircraft, but the number has been reduced by retirements and crashes.
A U.S. Air Force B-1B Lancer assigned to the 345th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron, decends for landing at Ørland Air Base, Norway, during a Bomber Task Force Europe deployment, Aug. 9, 2025. The BTF mission highlights how we deliver effects rapidly across dynamic and contested environments through integrated training. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Tambri Cason)
A U.S. Air Force B-1B Lancer assigned to the 345th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron is photographed after landing at Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, Aug. 22, 2025. Three bombers deployed for Bomber Task Force Europe with a total force integration team composed of roughly 30% active-duty and 70% reserve Airmen from the 7th Bomb Wing and 489th Bomb Group. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Jade M. Caldwell)
B-1B Lancer Bomber in Museum in Dayton, Ohio. Image Credit: Harry J. Kazianis/National Security Journal.
A U.S. Air Force B-1B Lancer sits on the flightline at Lajes Field, Azores, Aug. 22, 2025. The aircraft landed for a hot pit refuel during a Bomber Task Force Europe mission. (U.S. Air Force photo by Cristina Oliveira)
The Air Force is using the upgraded B-1B bomber as a bridge until the B-21 Raiders are produced in sufficient numbers to take over.
However, those 45 bombers still in service are getting an upgrade that will increase their payload. Engineers at Boeing are repurposing external hardpoints on the aircraft’s fuselage to carry pylons for hypersonic missiles.
The History Of The Air Force’s B-1B Lancer
The B-1 bomber was first developed in the 1970s as a supersonic replacement for the B-52 Stratofortress.
The B-1’s mission was to penetrate Soviet airspace flying low and fast, and when approaching a nuclear weapon target, pop up to an appropriate altitude, deliver her atomic bombs, and then drop her altitude using her speed to get away.
The original design could fly at speeds of Mach 2.2 (1,688 mph). However, President Carter cut the program in 1977 due to its high cost, the introduction of the AGM-86 cruise missile, which flew at the same essential speed and distance, and the development of the B-2 stealth bomber.
President Reagan restarted the program in 1981, and it underwent some changes. The payload was increased to 74,000 pounds, an improved radar was added, and the radar cross-section was reduced, lowering the top speed to Mach 1.2 (920 mph).
The first B-1B bomber, “The Star of Abilene,” was delivered in 1985. By 1988, all 100 orders had been delivered, and production had stopped. The US had a bomber force that could penetrate Soviet airspace and take out targets inside the Soviet Union in a nuclear confrontation.
B-1B Lancer at USAF Museum in July 2025. Image Credit: National Security Journal.
A U.S. Air Force B-1B Lancer assigned to the 345th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron is photographed after landing at Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, Aug. 22, 2025. Three bombers deployed for Bomber Task Force Europe with a total force integration team composed of roughly 30% active-duty and 70% reserve Airmen from the 7th Bomb Wing and 489th Bomb Group. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Jade M. Caldwell)
9th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron aircrew step out to the B-1B Lancer during Bomber Task Force 25-2 at Misawa Air Base, Japan, May 9, 2025. BTF 25-2 demonstrates Allied strength by forging strong alliances, showcasing our resolve, and deterring aggression, while also supporting global stability and security and strengthening military capabilities. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Mattison Cole)
Crew Chief Senior Airman Mike Parks talks through his headset with the crew of a U.S. Air Force B-1B Lancer bomber as they go through the pre-flight checklist at an air base in the Persian Gulf region on Dec. 10, 1998. The Lancer, deployed from Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, is a multi-role, long range, heavy bomber.
(DoD photo by Senior Airman Sean M. White, U.S. Air Force. (Released))
Making A Missile Truck Out Of the “BONE”
The Air Force is equipping its B-1B Lancer bombers with new external pylons, specifically the Load Adaptable Modular (LAM) pylons, to enhance their weapons carriage capabilities.
According to Boeing, the LAM pylon will reuse six external structural hardpoints that were originally designed and used to carry AGM-86 nuclear missiles. However, those structural hardpoints were rendered unusable due to the START strategic arms reduction treaties.
“The B-1 LAM pylon is going to be used to allow us to carry a variety of different weapons and different weapons configurations on the external pylons of the B-1,” said Lt. Col. Scott Pontzer, 419th Flight Test Squadron Commander.
“That will enable weapon delivery and testing in a variety of different configurations and include new weapon release profiles.”
On May 26, Boeing reported that the LAM pylon had passed its design review, an important step in the design process.
“This is only just the beginning of the incredible things we can do to support this aircraft,” says Lynsay Brannock, Boeing’s B-1 program manager. “Our team is committed to finding new capabilities for this aircraft that give commanders more options and keep the B-1 a pillar of the USAF’s bomber fleet.”
Joint Air-To-Surface Standoff Missiles, Anti-Ship Missiles
According to Business Insider, the Air Force is working to increase the number of Long-Range Anti-Ship Missiles (LRASM) and Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missiles (JASSM) a B-1B bomber can carry. Currently, the bomber can carry up to 24 missiles internally. The service is now developing the means to externally carry an additional 12 missiles, bringing the total to 36.
The JASSM was developed in the 2000s as a stealthy, subsonic cruise missile. It typically uses GPS to fly to a midpoint, then an infrared imaging seeker and a pattern recognition system to identify the target.
Once a target is identified and locked on, JASSM flies toward it, exploding its 1,000-pound high-explosive warhead. The warhead can be programmed to airburst the target, showering the ground below with shrapnel, or dive into it and penetrate hardened targets such as bunkers or other protective defenses.
The LRASM was designed to replace the aging Harpoon anti-ship missile. It was developed from the extended-range version of JASSM, JASSM-ER.
Visually, the two appear very similar, but the LRASM incorporates satellite data-link targeting—the ability to detect and then fly around enemy air defenses —and ship target recognition to ensure it homes in on the correct target.
The Load Adaptable Modular (LAM) Pylons
The Load Adaptable Modular (LAM) pylon is a new, modular weapons pylon developed by Boeing for the B-1B Lancer bomber. It’s designed to be adaptable, allowing for the seamless integration and testing of a wide range of existing and emerging weapons, including hypersonic missiles.
The LAM pylon streamlines weapons testing because its modular attachment points can be repositioned, reducing the need for specialized pylons and enabling testing of weapons for which an appropriate pylon may not exist. Designers and testers liken it to a “Lego” pylon.
The LAM pylons offer greater flexibility in terms of weapon types and configurations.
The new pylons will significantly increase the B-1B’s payload capacity and allow it to carry a wider range of weapons, including hypersonic missiles.
The Air Force Is Hedging Against A “Bomber Gap”
The Air Force’s upgrade of the B-1B Lancer is considered worthwhile because it bridges a critical “bomber gap” before the B-21 Raider is fully operational, providing essential, high-payload conventional strike capability through at least the 2030s.
These upgrades ensure the B-1B remains relevant for hypersonic weapon carriage and stand-off missions, offering a cost-effective, proven alternative to relying solely on the emerging, smaller B-21 fleet.
This move by the Air Force is smart, as it offers twofold value. First, if the B-21 Raider, currently in low-rate initial production (LRIP) and undergoing flight testing, is delayed, the LAM has breathed new life into the B-1B. And it can continue to give the Air Force 44 viable bombers.
However, the LAM can extend the B-1B’s lifespan even further. With a B-1B potentially armed with 36 hypersonic missiles, it would be an incredibly standoff weapons platform.
The AF’s budget request, as reported by TWZ, noted, “Maximum carriage of existing standoff munitions on the B-1B provides near-term increased volume of fires from standoff ranges and serves to mitigate transition risk of the Air Force bomber fleet prior to the emergence of the B-21 as a combat bomber.”
“The Hypersonic Integration Program successfully demonstrated the B-1’s ability to execute a captive carry of a 5,000-pound class store and the release of a proven weapon shape from a Load Adaptable Modular (LAM) pylon,” the budget documents added.
Currently, missiles such as the AGM-183 ARRW or the Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile (HAMC), are too large to fit into internal weapons bays. The LAM pylon may solve that issue.
Increased Payload For the “Bone”
The B-1B, with its new pylons, is being eyed as a platform for hypersonic weapons testing. The initial plans for the B-1 bomber included six pylons with hardpoints to carry nuclear cruise missiles externally.
However, after the collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War, the hardpoint pylons were no longer used due to the nuclear treaties (SALT II). However, the bombers do now use one of those stations to carry a Sniper Advanced Targeting Pod (ATP).
The pylons are expected to allow the B-1B to carry a significant number of weapons, potentially including 24 internally and 12 externally. The B-1B could also carry 144 Small Diameter Bombs (SDBs), with 48 externally and the rest internally.
Placing the Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile on the B-1B, with the potential to carry 36 missiles as a standoff delivery platform, will certainly draw the attention of China and Russia, which are developing hypersonics.
While the B-21 Raider will ultimately replace the B-1B thanks to its superior stealth and advanced technology, the B-1B still delivers essential, immediate, heavy-hitting capabilities that remain critical for strategic deterrence until the new bomber is fully fielded.
This avoids the so-called “bathtub effect,” in which legacy aircraft retire faster than replacements are fielded at scale.
Current Air Force procurement plans cap the number of B-21 Raiders at 100. No one believes that number will be sufficient. Most Air Force officers and aviation analysts believe that numbers closer to 175-200 Raiders, or even upwards of 225, would better align with expected strategic requirements and ensure adequate capacity.
The B-21 is the future; however, utilizing the B-1B with increased weapons capacity is a smart choice for the Air Force.
About the Author: Steve Balestrieri
Steve Balestrieri is a National Security Columnist. He served as a US Army Special Forces NCO and Warrant Officer. In addition to writing on defense, he covers the NFL for PatsFans.com and is a member of the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA). His work was regularly featured in many military publications.
