U.S. Secretary of Defense Ash Carter has revealed the existence of a program to develop a so-called "Arsenal Plane." Designed to back up fifth generation fighters such as the F-35 with a large number of conventional weapons, backing up the high-tech fighters with tried-and-true ordinance.The new plane would supplement the F-35 in places where the fighter-bomber is weak, particularly in weapons carrying capability. The F-35 can only carry a handful of weapons internally‐anything carried on the outside of the aircraft makes it more visible to radar. To make matters worse, that internal storage must be shared between air-to-air and air-to-ground weapons.
n one possible scenario, a pair of Joint Strike Fighters could fly towards a heavily defended enemy ground target armed only with air-to-air missiles for self protection. Several hundred miles behind them an Arsenal Plane--relying on intelligence gleamed by satellites or unmanned vehicles--could launch a pre-planned strike against enemy air defenses. Stealthy and with a range of more than 200 miles, JASSM can be launched from beyond the reach of enemy air defenses, ensuring the Arsenal Plane's safety. Meanwhile, the stealthy F-35s creep closer to the target. After the first round of missile strikes, the F-35s then use their Electro-Optical Targeting System (EOTS) to assess damage to enemy defenses. They could then ask for another round of follow-up strikes on surviving defenses, or request the Arsenal Plane to unleash a barrage on the target itself.
One thing we don't know about the Arsenal Plane is what aircraft the Pentagon has in mind. The Secretary of Defense only alluded to "one of our oldest aircraft platforms." This could refer to the B-52 bomber, which has long range, a midair refueling capability, an internal capability to carry eight JASSMs, and underwing pylons that could carry up to a dozen others. The Arsenal Plane could also be converted older versions of the C-130 Hercules.
Above all, the Arsenal Plane must be affordable, and this suggests taking an existing platform such as the B-52 and performing simple upgrades. The Pentagon has a lot of planes to buy and not a lot of money. The Arsenal Plane is coming at a time when the Air Force is planning to purchase the F-35, KC-46 Pegasus airborne tanker, Long-Range Strike Bomber, and T-X jet trainer. But its presence in the air could conceivably help them all.