B-1B Lancer - Formation

[Tom[_8_]]

From the AF.mil website - Bobbing and weaving all over the skies of New Mexico....
Tom -

http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123202955
Photo essay: Dyess B-1Bs train over New Mexico
Posted 5/4/2010
by Master Sgt. Kevin J. Gruenwald
99th Air Bomb Wing Public Affairs Office

5/4/2010 - OVER NEW MEXICO (AFNS) -- B-1B Lancers participate in a training mission
over New Mexico Feb. 24. The aircraft are assigned to the 28th Bomb Squadron at Dyess
Air Force Base, Texas.

Photo Caption-
A two-ship of B-1B Lancers assigned to the 28th Bomb Squadron, Dyess Air Force Base,
Texas, fly in formation over New Mexico during a training mission Feb. 24, 2010.
Dyess celebrates the 25th anniversary of the first B-1B bomber arriving at the base.
(U.S. Air Force photo/ Master Sgt. Kevin J. Gruenwald)

[Morgans[_2_]]

"Tom" > wrote in message
...
> From the AF.mil website - Bobbing and weaving all over the skies of New
> Mexico....
> Tom -

What is the device mounted on the belly of the ship in the foreground of
this picture?
--
Jim in NC

[Tom[_8_]]

Don't know for sure...but I'm sure someone out here will tell us!
My guess is targeting....

Anyhow here's a crop and blowup of the device....

Tom

On 5/4/2010 9:56 PM, Morgans wrote:
> > wrote in message
> ...
>> From the AF.mil website - Bobbing and weaving all over the skies of New
>> Mexico....
>> Tom -
>
> What is the device mounted on the belly of the ship in the foreground of
> this picture?

[Morgans[_2_]]

"Tom" > wrote in message
...
> Don't know for sure...but I'm sure someone out here will tell us!
> My guess is targeting....
>
> Anyhow here's a crop and blowup of the device....

From the blowup, it does not look like dropable explosives, to me. Camera
to film the exercises? How about a housing for ALE-50 towed decoy
countermeasure pods?

It seems weird to mount a non stealth object on an external hard point on a
fairly stealthy plane. Since the B1-B's are known to carry the ALE-50
regularly, it seems odd to have it carried externally like that, I would
think.
--
Jim in NC

[Steven[_3_]]

The bevelled front end would suggest it is some kind of optical device,
perhaps a laser range finder, but then I might be completely wrong...

Cheers

Steven

[nockers]

On Wed, 05 May 2010 06:38:56 GMT, Steven > wrote:

>The bevelled front end would suggest it is some kind of optical device,
>perhaps a laser range finder, but then I might be completely wrong...
>
>Cheers
>
>Steven
Its called a sniper pod

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lockheed_Martin_Sniper_XR