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B-1 Lancer


Rockwell B-1 Lancer






Nicknamed “The Bone,” the B-1B Lancer is a long-range, multi-mission, supersonic conventional bomber, which has served the United States Air Force since 1985. The aircraft is on track to continue flying, at current demanding operations tempo, out to 2040 and beyond, and Boeing partners with the Air Force to keep the B-1 mission ready. Originally designed for nuclear capabilities, the B-1 switched to an exclusively conventional combat role in the mid-1990s. In 1999, during Operation Allied Force, six B-1s flew 2 percent of the strike missions, yet dropped 20 percent of the ordnance, and during Operation Enduring Freedom the B-1 flew on 2 percent of the sorties while dropping over 40 percent of the precision weapons. The B-1 has been nearly continuously deployed in combat operations over Afghanistan and Iraq since 2001






The BONE
The Rockwell B-1 Lancer is a supersonic variable-sweep wing, heavy bomber used by the United States Air Force. It is commonly called the "Bone" (from "B-One"). It is one of three strategic bombers in the U.S. Air Force fleet as of 2018, the other two being the B-2 Spirit and the B-52 Stratofortress.






The B-1 was first envisioned in the 1960s as a platform that would combine the Mach 2 speed of the B-58 Hustler with the range and payload of the B-52, and was meant to ultimately replace both bombers. After a long series of studies, Rockwell International (now part of Boeing) won the design contest for what emerged as the B-1A. This version had a top speed of Mach 2.2 at high altitude and the capability of flying for long distances at Mach 0.85 at very low altitudes. The combination of the high cost of the aircraft, the introduction of the AGM-86 cruise missile that flew the same basic profile, and early work on the stealth bomber all significantly affected the need for the B-1. This led to the program being canceled in 1977, after the B-1A prototypes had been built.







B-1B Lancer Technical Specifications
Function                           Long-range, multi-role, heavy bomber
Power plant                   Four General Electric F101-GE-102 turbofan engine with afterburner
Thrust                           30,000-plus pounds with afterburner, per engine
Wingspan                    137 ft (41.8 m) extended forward, 79 ft (24.1 m) swept aft
Length                           146 ft (44.5 meters)
Height                           34 ft (10.4 meters)
Weight                           Approximately 190,000 lbs (86,183 kg)
Max Takeoff Weight   477,000 lbs (216,634 kg)
Fuel Capacity           265,274 lbs (120,326 kg)
Payload                           75,000 lbs internal (34,019 kg), 50,000 lbs (22,679 kg)
Speed                           900-plus mph (Mach 1.2 at sea level)
Range                           Intercontinental
Ceiling                          More than 30,000 ft (9,144 m)
Crew                          4 (aircraft commander, copilot, and two weapon systems officers)
Inventory                  66


The program was restarted in 1981, largely as an interim measure due to delays in the B-2 stealth bomber program, with the B-2 eventually reaching initial operational capability in 1997. This led to a redesign as the B-1B, which differed from the B-1A by having a lower top speed at high altitude of Mach 1.25, but improved low-altitude performance of Mach 0.96. The electronics were also extensively improved during the redesign, and the airframe was improved to allow takeoff with the maximum possible fuel and weapons load. The B-1B began deliveries in 1986 and formally entered service with Strategic Air Command (SAC) as a nuclear bomber in that same year. By 1988, all 100 aircraft had been delivered.




In the early 1990s, following the Gulf War and concurrent with the disestablishment of SAC and its reassignment to the newly formed Air Combat Command, the B-1B was converted to conventional bombing use. It first served in combat during Operation Desert Fox in 1998 and again during the NATO action in Kosovo the following year. The B-1B has supported U.S. and NATO military forces in Afghanistan and Iraq. The Air Force had 66 B-1Bs in service as of September 2012. The B-1B is expected to continue to serve into the 2030s, with the Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider to begin replacing the B-1B after 2025. The B-1s in inventory are planned to be retired by 2036.


RELATED LINKS:-

Boeing Upgrades - https://boeing.mediaroom.com/2015-04-30-Boeing-Upgrades-to-Keep-B-1-Bomber-Soaring-for-Decades-to-Come

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