Air Force Chief of Staff Michael Moseley said he’s killed the B-52 Standoff Jammer project once—when its cost ballooned from $1 billion to $7 billion—and he’s prepared to do it again if requirements get out of hand. Moseley told reporters Monday at AFA’s Air & Space Conference that the SOJ is back in the future years spending plan, but the details are still being worked out. The number to be modified could be around 36 aircraft. A big player in the final scheme for jamming will be what can be done with an unmanned vehicle that can stealthily penetrate enemy defenses, he said.
Three B-1B Lancers from the 7th Bomb Wing flew over the Indo-Pacific alongside F-16s from the Japanese Air Self Defense Force recently, as part of a joint large force exercise. The mission began and ended in the continental U.S., as the bombers flew 31 hours and landed Jan. 11.