I’M EXPECTING AN EARTH-SHATTERING KABOOM: The Next B-52 Bomb Upgrade May Be a Tough Message for China.

While specific munitions haven’t been advertised, the goal is to quadruple the bomb size. Officials want pylons “capable of carrying multiple weapons in the 5,000-lb to 20,000-pound weight class,” according to the RFI. The current common pylon maximum is for 5,000-pound munitions.

The external pylon “was designed in 1959 and has been in service since the 1960s. When it was introduced, there wasn’t a requirement nor did anyone foresee a need to carry weapons heavier than 5000 lbs,” the RFI states.

Now that’s changed, the official said.

I find it difficult to believe that nobody in the Air Force or at Boeing at the time never imagined a need for bigger bombs for our biggest bomber.