U.S. Air Force Wants Its Arsenal Plane To Be Able To Launch Long-Range Missiles ‘En Masse’

Lockheed Martin MC-130J. Source: US Air Force

Flight Global: US Air Force requests ideas for arsenal plane to launch long-range missiles ‘en masse’

The US Air Force (USAF) is looking for idea for an aircraft prototype that would be able to launch long-range missiles en masse.

The service and the US secretary of defense’s Strategic Capabilities Office are partnering to survey the market for ideas and research technical maturity, feasibility and operational utility of using such an aircraft to launch weapons, says the USAF in a request for information posted online on 25 June. The Department of Defense says it prefers aircraft designs that could quickly enter experimentation and prototyping for rapid development and fielding.

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WNU Editor: The critics are stating to weigh in on their objections to an "arsenal plane" .... Five reasons an arsenal plane isn’t the best choice for rebalancing America’s long-range strike forces (Mark Gunzinger, Defense News). More here .... Report: Standoff Weapons and Arsenal Plane No Match for Bombers (Air Force Magazine).

What Plane Will The U.S. Air Force Choose To Be Its New 'Flying Arsenal'

Popular Mechanics: What Old Warplane Will Become the USAF's New 'Flying Arsenal'?

The B-52? C-17? Or the stealthy B-1B? Whoever is the winner, the plane will become a flying magazine for fifth-generation fighters.

The U.S. Air Force is carefully considering what plane is the best fit for its new Arsenal Plane concept. The Arsenal Plane, a large aircraft packed with semi-autonomous flying weapons, is designed to provide extra firepower for fighter jets that spot targets but don’t have the weapons to take them out. The Air Force has a variety of airframes to choose from, but choosing the right one is harder than it sounds.

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WNU Editor: The problem that the US Air Force has is that it does not have any planes to spare to make their "flying arsenal" fleet possible.

The U.S. Air Force's Arsenal Plane Will Be Able To Coordinate Missions With The F-22 and F-35

Scout Warrior: Pentagon Arsenal Plane to Fly With F-35, F-22

The Air Force is already upgrading the historic, 1960s-era bomber with new radios, avionics and weapons capability

The Pentagon’s emerging “Arsenal Plane” or “flying bomb truck” is likely to be a modified, high-tech adaptation of the iconic B-52 bomber designed to fire air-to-air weapons, release swarms of mini-drones and provide additional fire-power to 5th generation stealth fighters such as the F-35 and F-22, Pentagon officials and analysts said.

It is also possible that the emerging arsenal plane could be a modified C-130 or combined version of a B-52 and C-130 drawing from elements of each, Pentagon officials said.

Using a B-52, which is already being modernized with new radios and an expanded internal weapons bay, would provide an existing “militarized” platform already engineered with electronic warfare ability and countermeasures designed to thwart enemy air defenses.

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WNU Editor: For more info on the arsenal plane go here .... U.S. Air Force Scientists are Working to Arm the B-52 Bomber with Laser Weapons (National Interest).

The Pentagon's 'Arsenal Plane' Will Be A Modified B-52 Or C-130

Scout Warrior: Pentagon "Arsenal Plane" Could be B-52, C-130

The Air Force is already upgrading the historic, 1960s-era bomber with new radios, avionics and weapons capability

The Pentagon’s emerging “Arsenal Plane” or “flying bomb truck” is likely to be a modified, high-tech adaptation of the iconic B-52 bomber designed to fire air-to-air weapons, release swarms of mini-drones and provide additional fire-power to 5th generation stealth fighters such as the F-35 and F-22, Pentagon officials and analysts said.

It is also possible that the emerging arsenal plane could be a modified C-130 or combined version of a B-52 and C-130 drawing from elements of each, Pentagon officials said.

Using a B-52, which is already being modernized with new radios and an expanded internal weapons bay, would provide an existing “militarized” platform already engineered with electronic warfare ability and countermeasures designed to thwart enemy air defenses.

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WNU Editor: Using a B-52 (or C-130) will probably be the best (and cheapest) version of an arsenal plane for the U.S. Air Force .... and since money is tight, expect the cheapest version to be accepted.

The U.S. Air Force Flaunts Its ‘Arsenal Plane’ Concept In A New Video

Flight Global: USAF flaunts ‘arsenal plane’ concept in new video

The US Air Force has offered the first artist’s impression of the Pentagon’s “arsenal plane” concept in a video presented by service secretary Deborah Lee James at an Air Warfare Symposium in Orlando, Florida.

Since no aircraft has been announced, air force graphic artists appear to have blended the eight-engine Boeing B-52 bomber with the body of a Lockheed Martin C-130 turboprop. The aircraft is seen in the video launching a barrage of networked Raytheon Small Diameter Bomb II glide bombs at mobile enemy radar warning and air defence targets.

The cargo-bomber airplane concept appears to be unmanned since it doesn’t have a cockpit window, but does have a side cargo bay door. It’s not known if the arsenal plane – based on an old, repurposed aircraft – will carry weapon specialists, similar to current AC-130 gunships.

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Update #1: Here’s the New, Secret Warplane Everyone Will Soon Be Talking About -- Fiscal Times
Update #2: US fighter and bomber chiefs embrace Pentagon's 'arsenal plane' plan (Flight Global)

WNU Editor: This is just a concept .... no budget or development plans have been proposed .... but I can see why they are excited about it. The unmanned part of this plane is interesting.

The Pentagon Is Building An 'Arsenal Plane' (Updated)

Image: Wikimedia Commons/U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Robert J. Horstman.

David Axe, Daily Beast: Pentagon Wants a Plane Packed With Hundreds of Missiles to Beat Putin’s Air Force

The U.S. Air Force is short hundreds of fighter jets. To make up the gap, the Pentagon has come up with a wild concept: stuff hundreds of missiles into Cold War-era heavy bombers.

The next time America’s high-tech jet fighters fly into battle against a major foe, they might have some serious backup—heavy bombers, newly modified to haul potentially hundreds of missiles and fire them at the fighters’ command.
The upgraded bombers have picked up a cool new name: “arsenal planes.”

That’s right, the next global air war could involve the U.S. military newest, smallest warplanes—its “fifth-generation” stealth fighters—working in teams with the military’s Cold War-era heavy bombers, its oldest and largest warplanes.

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Previous Post: The Pentagon Is Building An 'Arsenal Plane'

More News On The Pentagon's 'Arsenal Plane'

DOD aims to back up underarmed fighters with networked “arsenal planes” -- Ars Technica
The US Air Force wants to deploy ‘arsenal planes’ to improve the F-35’s limited firepower -- Extreme Tech
The Pentagon Is Building the "Arsenal Plane," a Giant Flying Battlewagon -- Popular Mechanics
The Pentagon Hints at Stuffing B-52s With Lethal High-Tech Weapons -- National Interest
How America's New Invisible Flying Gas Stations Could Keep Russia in Check -- VICE News

The Pentagon Is Building An 'Arsenal Plane'

It's not known if the Pentagon will revive old B-52 bombers to create an unmanned flying bomb truck, or perhaps recall retired C-130s for a turboprop approach. Past candidates for this concept included the Boeing B-1R. US Air Force

Popular Mechanics: The Pentagon Is Building the "Arsenal Plane," a Giant Flying Battlewagon

The Arsenal Plane will carry a tremendous punch a long, long way​​.

U.S. Secretary of Defense Ash Carter has revealed the existence of a program to develop a so-called "Arsenal Plane." Designed to back up fifth generation fighters such as the F-35 with a large number of conventional weapons, backing up the high-tech fighters with tried-and-true ordinance.

The Arsenal Plane actually has its roots at sea. During the 1990s, there was an effort to create so-called "Arsenal Ships"— large boats packed with hundreds of missile silos that would rely on the targeting data of the rest of the fleet. The Arsenal Ship was never built, but four Ohio-class submarines were converted to carry 154 Tomahawk cruise missiles each, platforms now recognized as extremely important in providing stand-off, precision firepower.

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Update: The Air Force Is Finally Getting The Flying Arsenal Ship It Badly Needs (Foxtrot Alpha)

WNU Editor: No details on the type of plane/numbers/or costs .... but it looks like the Pentagon wants one anyway.