A prototype weapons bay launcher that improves weapons capacity has been installed by Boeing and the U.S. Air Force on a B-52 bomber.

The new launcher enables the carriage of GPS-guided bombs in the aircraft's weapons bay instead of on wing pylons by changing the current strategic rotary launcher in the bay into a conventional rotary launcher.

"This upgrade allows us to provide better close air support for Army personnel on the ground and future increments improve our strategic attack capability, a cornerstone of the B-52," Boeing quoted Capt. Ryan Hefron, a B-52 pilot with the U.S. Air Force 419th Flight Test Squadron. "Being able to go and perform long-range strikes on night one of an operation, and carrying an additional eight cruise missiles in the bay, is huge."

Boeing said it created three prototypes for the new launcher. The first was uploaded into a B-52 bomber last month. The first adds capacity to carry Joint Direct Attack Munitions; future increments will add Joint Air to Surface Stand Off Missile and Miniature Air Launched Decoy capabilities.

The prototypes are undergoing field testing. Flight testing of the prototypes will begin in March.

Boeing estimates that weapons capacity for the B-52 will increase by 50 percent.