CDR Salamander - Monsters and Dragons are Real

There she is…just look at her—a B-52G in all her Cold War 1980s livery that says, “Yes, my belly is bright white, because I’m going to nuke you and don’t want to get all hot afterwards” glory.

For generations before us, and for generations to come, whenever a military competitor posed a challenge to our nation, you were usually one or two bullet points away from someone asking, “Hey, can we configure a B-52 to do that?”

As one finds with platforms with built-in flexibility and square footage, the answer is usually “yes.”

By the time the 1970s were over, the U.S. Navy realized that it didn’t just have a Soviet submarine problem, it had a significant Soviet surface fleet to deal with in the North Atlantic and Pacific. Our submarines were not the solution…they had more pressing issues to deal with, and they couldn’t be everywhere.

Our aircraft carriers and air wings were not designed to take on surface forces. They could do it, and their aircraft could carry Harpoons, but…still.

Sure, the Navy had P-3C Orions that could also launch Harpoons at range, but…still…not in saturation numbers, and not that quickly.

At some point, it was asked, “Hey, can we configure a B-52 to do that?”, and the answer was, “Yes.”

By the early 1980s, heavy bomber wings operating out of Loring Air Force Base in Maine and Guam were certified to bring the pain with 8–12 Harpoons per bomber.

I was the first time Midshipman Salamander became aware of this monster…but that was almost four-and-a-half decades ago…the same length of time as that between 1900 and the end of WWII.

The Harpoon is … not quite what it used to be, but we could get by with it.

Well, in the last half-decade, the U.S. Navy has discovered that it is now the world’s second-largest navy and again finds itself faced with a numerically superior and dangerous opponent at sea, this time the People’s Liberation Army Navy.

We have a modernization plan for that.

The US Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) issued a notice on October 7, 2026 signaling its intent to award a sole-source contract to Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control under an existing basic ordering agreement. The goal is to integrate the AGM-158C Long-Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM) onto the US Air Force’s B-52H strategic bombers. Interested parties have until October 22, 2026 to respond.

…

The B-52H can already carry up to 20 AGM-158 JASSMs on its wing pylons. LRASM (AGM-158C) was developed from the JASSM airframe, adapted specifically for the anti-ship mission. Because the two missiles share the same base platform, extending the B-52’s JASSM-carrying capability to LRASM is seen as a relatively natural technical step, with the bulk of the work concentrated on software, interfaces and certification. LRASM also carries added radar-warning receivers, target-recognition algorithms and autonomous targeting logic, and is known for being able to operate independently under electronic warfare conditions such as GPS jamming or disrupted communications.

More than just B-52 possibilities here…

The Air Force has already integrated the munition of which LRASM is derived from, the AGM-158 Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM), across its bomber and fighter fleets. B-52 and B-1 fleets have extensively deployed the missile during the U.S.-Iran War, according to Pentagon media.

For its maritime strike-focused derivative, the Air Force first fielded the missile from the B-1 Lancer. In June, the service revealed that the B-2 Spirit stealth bomber can launch LRASM during a sinking exercise in the Indo-Pacific.

The U.S. Navy’s patrol bomber (as I like to call it just to excite the usual suspects), the P-8A Poseidon, is stuck with the legacy Harpoon for a while.

U.S. Navy’s P-8A Poseidon currently deploy AGM-84D Block 1C Harpoon anti-ship missiles for their anti-surface warfare missions. Incremental future upgrades include the AGM-84 Harpoon II+ variant which brings GPS and a data link that allows the shooter to change the missile’s target in flight. The venerable (and world famous) Harpoon will have to be replaced, eventually, at some point in the future, as is already the case on surface ships (with the Naval Strike Missile selected by the U.S. Navy for new programs such as the LCS and FFG(X)).

That is…unfortunate…but not for too much longer. Last year, testing was done with the P-8A and LRASM.

I assume she can carry them on the same pylons she carries Harpoon on, so that gives her four.

Four is not 20, but it is more than 0, and that means something.

Let’s be direct about this. In the event of a war west of the International Date Line, our heavy bombers will be the belle of the ball. There will be more missions for them than aircraft. We know that.

Perhaps, if we have I&W of a large force taking to sea, we can get some bombers loaded with 20 LRASMs to bring the pain, but that would be about it. The Navy needs its own long-range asset to carry LRASM. The P-8A will need to be it…but…still…a BUFF bringing 20 to a party…that’s style.

UPDATE: I forgot to put in this helpful grid.

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