The B61-12 nuclear weapon has a length of 12ft and weighs approximately 825lb. It can be fired at the target in either ballistic gravity or guided drop modes.
The new tail kit guidance assembly combines new guided freefall capability with the existing ballistic (unguided) delivery capability of the B61 bomb.
Senate defense bill limits Air Force’s aircraft retirement plans
2020/06/12
Specifically, the bill blocks the retirement of three A-10 Warthog squadrons, limits F-15C divestment, and delays the retirements of KC-10 and KC-135 tankers until after the KC-46’s technical challenges are resolved. The Air Force had planned to retire 13 KC-135s and 16 KC-10s in FY21.
Air Force makes reductions to B-1s, A-10s, Global Hawk drones and more in FY21 budget request
2020/02/10
The Air Force is retiring 17 of its oldest B-1s, which officials say are straining the fleet as maintainers exhaust themselves trying to keep the airframes ready to fly.
“We flew the B-1s very hard in the [U.S. Central Command area of responsibility], and that’s what’s caused some of the challenge they’ve run into. So part of the discussion here is do you put a bunch of money in to preserve that at the expense of some other things you’re going to be able to do to give you other capability?” Pacific Air Forces commander Gen. Charles Brown told Defense News at Singapore Airshow on Feb. 10.