Air Weapons: April 29, 2002

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The US Air Force has a plan to produce a 30,000-pound conventional bomb known as Big BLU for use against "hard and deep" targets. The Air Force says it can produce the weapon in four months if needed, but refuses to confirm speculation that work on the weapon has already begun at a somewhat slower pace. The weapon is so big it would only fit into a B-52H or B-2, and it would probably be adapted only for the B-52H as it would cost millions to fit it to each aircraft and there is no point in paying that much for two aircraft that duplicate the capability. --Stephen V Cole