A B-1B earlier this month detected, targeted, and engaged small boats in the Gulf of Mexico as part of an evaluation of the bomber’s capability to strike moving maritime targets. During the Sept. 4 testing, a B-1 from Dyess AFB, Tex., dropped a total of six munitions against the boats, including a GBU-54 500-pound laser-guided bomb as well as 500-pound and 2,000-pound joint direct attack munitions, according to Dyess’ Sept. 18 release. “This evaluation solidifies what our crew members have already known: we can strike surface targets,” said Lt. Col. Alejandro Gomez, special projects officer for Dyess’ 337th Test and Evaluations Squadron. “Many of the dynamic targeting skills we’ve refined over the past decade on land are directly applicable in the maritime environment,” said Capt. Alicia Datzman, the squadron’s chief of weapons and tactics. (Dyess report by SrA. Peter Thompson)
The rate of building B-21 bombers would speed up if the fiscal 2026 defense budget passes. But it remains unclear how much capacity would be added, and whether the Air Force would simply build the bombers faster, or buy more.