Boeing finishes design review for B-1B pylon that lets the bomber carry hypersonic missiles
Boeing has completed the preliminary design review of the Load Adaptable Modular (LAM) pylon for the B-1B Lancer. The pylon uses six external hard points originally built for the AGM-86 nuclear cruise missile, opening the bomber to large hypersonic weapons like the ARRW.
Boeing's Oklahoma City team and the U.S. Air Force Materiel Command have completed the preliminary design review of the LAM pylon for the B-1B Lancer. LAM repurposes six external hard points that have gone unused since the bomber's nuclear role ended under START. Each station can carry two 2,000-pound weapons or one payload above 5,000 pounds, making the bomber compatible with the AGM-183 ARRW hypersonic missile, the future Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile, and longer-range standoff weapons. Next steps: critical design review, modification, and flight testing.