Rockwell B-1 Lancer

History of the Rockwell B-1 Lancer

Military aircraft rarely make it to full service, as was the case with the United States Air Force (USAF) famous Rockwell B-1 Lancer heavy bomber. The Lancer was developed as a high-speed, nuclear-capable bomber to replace the venerable Boeing B-52 Stratofortress heavy bomber that has been in service with the U.S. Air Force since 1955.

It became the primary heavy bomber (SAC) for the U.S. Air Force and Strategic Air Command -- also serving as the original B-52 replacement -- but the global political climate, advanced technology, and an unfortunate accident eventually led to the product's cancellation. Key factors in the decline of the XB-70 were advances in Soviet air defenses (radar and missile technology, as well as manned interceptors such as the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-25 "Foxbat") and the growing US focus on ICBMs and cruise missiles as carriers.

The first low-cost radar-evading alternative to the man-bomber approach. In addition to the B-52 for high-altitude bombing, the USAF SAC retains only the "swing-wing" General Dynamics F-111 Aardvarks, which are primarily used for low-altitude strike missions.

The B-52 is a "heavy" subsonic system, while the F-111 is a supersonic system with a much lighter bomb load.

New bomber requirements

With the end of the XB-70 program, the U.S. Air Force continued research into the design of a new generation of bombers in the 1960s, initially under the Advanced Manned Strategic Aircraft (AMSA) program, as it was believed that manned bombers still had more rocket is more accurate.

Countless shapes and types have been delivered - delta wing planes, swept wing options, subsonic penetrators - all designed to combine the latest radar avoidance technology as much as possible - with the design lines of the larger B-52 A far cry from brutal functionality.

The study period lasted from the early 1960s to the second half of the century, when certain qualities of the new bomber began to emerge: 4 crew members for the expected mission load, variable swept wings for low-speed high-speed flight altitude, a Large airframe for mixing required fuel and weapons (reserved internally) and Mach 2 (minimum) power. The aircraft also needs to take off and land at short notice and have a high level of crew/aircraft survivability. Its payload will include nuclear ordnance/standoff missiles to meet one-third of the "nuclear trinity" doctrine adopted by the Americans -- nuclear missiles launched from the air, land or sea.

This way, one corner of the triangle could act as a failsafe to support the other after the first Soviet strike.

The B-1B has been upgraded in several areas to make it a viable Luftwaffe delivery platform for the foreseeable future. Radar systems were upgraded through the Radar Reliability and Maintainability Improvement Program (RRMIP) as times made the reliability of these units a recurring operational issue. The navigation suite as well as the situational awareness system on the battlefield have been upgraded.

The cockpit has been revised with the addition of a color multi-function display (MFD) as well as instrument upgrades. This work should be completed by 2020.

B-1R "Region"

An improved B-1 variant is the B-1R ("Regional"). The line will gain air-to-air missile capability at additional external hardpoints, new Pratt & Whitney F119-series turbofan engines, modern radars (including AESA) and speeds up to Mach 2.2, but with reduced range.

Combat History

The B-1B conducted combat operations in Iraq (Operation Desert Fox, 1998), Kosovo (1999), Afghanistan (2001), and Iraq (2003). It missed Operation Desert Storm (1991) because conventional bombing capacity had not been added at the time, and engine problems continued to prevent aircraft from participating.

The B-52 took over the conventional bombing role of the B-1B in the offensive against Saddam Hussein's vaunted forces.

Throughout its operational history, the B-1 has served with Strategic Air Command, Air Combat Command, Air National Guard and Air Force Flight Test Center. Two B-1A bombers are known as museum exhibits, while about eight B-1B series aircraft have been preserved from junkyards in the same way.

Although deprived of nuclear transport and delivery capabilities, the field's remaining B-1Bs could well be retrofitted for a nuclear role if necessary.

The B-1 is affectionately known as "Bone" due to its "B-One" designation.

Specification

Basic

Production

Roles

Dimensions

Weight

Performance

Performance

Armor

Changes