Recently at the RAF Fairford in the UK, the US B-1 “Lancer” strategic bomber stationed there underwent a highly unusual armament swap. The aircraft’s rotary cruise missile launchers were removed and replaced with a full load of 2000-pound GBU-31 Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAM), in preparation for upcoming strike missions targeting Iran.
Footage and photos taken at the scene show the removal of the rotary launch system in the B-1 bomber’s weapons bay, as JDAM loading operations were carried out. The shift from cruise missiles to JDAMs indicates a strengthening of the US’s aerial supremacy over Iran.
It is reported that these bombers are now equipped with GBU-31 JDAMs, which are armed with 2000-pound BLU-109 bunker buster bombs capable of directly targeting Iran’s fortified structures.
Bunker buster bombs, colloquially known as “fortress killers,” are a type of ammunition specifically designed to penetrate solid targets or underground facilities such as bunkers. The US military’s BLU-109 bunker buster bomb is designed to penetrate concrete fortifications and other reinforced structures before detonating inside them and was deployed in 1985.
When bombers are able to directly strike targets rather than relying on long-range cruise missiles, the effectiveness of operations is enhanced, and the range of tactics becomes more diverse. This advantage is particularly evident when bombers are loaded with Joint Direct Attack Munitions to carry out intense strikes on large target areas.
It is worth noting that the US Air Force has stationed these aircraft close to the perimeter, allowing media reporters and photographers to witness and capture images from outside the fence.