https://man.fas.org/dod-101/sys/smart/agm-86c.htm
The AGM-86C Conventional Air Launched Cruise Missile (CALCM) was developed to increase the effectiveness of B-52H bombers, dilute an enemy's forces, and complicate the defense of enemy territory.
The small, winged AGM-86C CALCM is powered by a turbofan jet engine that propels it at sustained subsonic speeds. After launch, the missile's folded wings, tail surfaces and engine inlet deploy. It then is able to fly complicated routes to a target through the use of an onboard Global Positioning System (GPS) coupled with its Inertial Navigation System (INS). This allows the missile to guide itself to the target with pinpoint accuracy.
The AGM-86C CALCM increases the Air Force's flexibility in target selection. The B-52H is capable of carrying six CALCMs on each of two externally mounted pylons and eight internally on a rotary launcher, giving the B-52H a maximum capacity of 20 CALCMs per aircraft. The AGM-86C CALCM differs from the AGM-86B Air Launched Cruise Missile (ALCM) in that it carries a conventional blast/frag payload rather than a nuclear payload and employs a GPS aided INS.
An enemy force would have to counterattack each of the missiles, making defense against them costly and complicated. The enemy's defenses are further hampered by the missile's small size and low-altitude flight capability, which also makes them difficult to detect on radar.