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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 serving in the U.S. Air Force fleet along with the B-2 Spirit and the B-52 Stratofortress as of 2022.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 speed and distance, and early work on the stealth bomber all significantly reduced the need for the B-1. This led to the program being canceled in 1977, after the B-1A prototypes had been built.The program was restarted in 1981, largely as an interim measure due to delays in the B-2 stealth bomber program. This led to a redesign as the B-1B, which differed from the B-1A by having a lower top speed of Mach 1.25 at high altitude, but improved the low-altitude speed to Mach 0.96. The electronics were also extensively improved, and the airframe was improved to allow takeoff with the maximum possible fuel and weapons load. Deliveries of the B-1B began in 1986 and formally entered service with Strategic Air Command (SAC) as a nuclear bomber that same year. By 1988, all 100 aircraft had been delivered.With the disestablishment of SAC and its reassignment to the Air Combat Command in 1992, the B-1B was converted for a conventional bombing role. 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 has an inventory of 45 B-1Bs as of 2021. The Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider is to begin replacing the B-1B after 2025; all B-1s are planned to be retired by 2036.In 1955, the USAF issued requirements for a new bomber combining the payload and range of the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress with the Mach 2 maximum speed of the Convair B-58 Hustler. In December 1957, the USAF selected North American Aviation’s B-70 Valkyrie for this role, a six-engine bomber that could cruise at Mach 3 at high altitude (70,000 ft or 21,000 m).General characteristicsCrew: 4 (Aircraft Commander, Pilot, Offensive Systems Officer, and Defensive Systems Officer)Length: 146 ft (45 m)Wingspan: 137 ft (42 m)Swept wingspan: 79 ft (24 m) sweptHeight: 34 ft (10 m)Wing area: 1,950 sq ft (181 m2)Airfoil: NACA69-190-2Empty weight: 192,000 lb (87,090 kg)Gross weight: 326,000 lb (147,871 kg)Max takeoff weight: 477,000 lb (216,364 kg)Powerplant: 4 × General Electric F101-GE-102 afterburning turbofan engines, 17,390 lbf (77.4 kN) thrust each dry, 30,780 lbf (136.9 kN) with afterburnerPerformanceMaximum speed: 721 kn (830 mph, 1,335 km/h) at 40,000 ft (12,000 m), 608 kn (1,126 km/h) at 200–500 ft (61–152 m)Maximum speed: Mach 1.25Range: 5,100 nmi (5,900 mi, 9,400 km) with weapon load of 37,000 lb (16,800 kg). Max range is 6,500 nmi (12,000 km).Combat range: 2,993 nmi (3,444 mi, 5,543 km)Service ceiling: 60,000 ft (18,000 m)Rate of climb: 5,678 ft/min (28.84 m/s)Wing loading: 167 lb/sq ft (820 kg/m2)Thrust/weight: 0.38 at gross weightArmamentHardpoints: 6 external hardpoints for ordnance[N 2] with a capacity of 50,000 pounds (23,000 kg), with provisions to carry combinations of:Bombs:Mk-82 air inflatable retarder (AIR) general purpose (GP) bombsMk-82 low drag general purpose (LDGP) bombsMk-62 Quickstrike sea minesMk-84 general-purpose bombsMk-65 naval minesCBU-87/89/CBU-97 Cluster Bomb Units (CBU)CBU-103/104/105 Wind Corrected Munitions Dispenser (WCMD) CBUsGBU-31 JDAM GPS guided bombs (Mk-84 GP or BLU-109 warhead)GBU-38 JDAM GPS guided bombs (Mk-82 GP warhead)GBU-38 JDAM (using rotary launcher mounted multiple ejector racks)GBU-54 LaserJDAM (using rotary launcher mounted multiple ejector racks)GBU-39 Small Diameter Bomb GPS guided bombs[N 6] (not fielded on B-1 yet)AGM-154 Joint Standoff Weapon (JSOW)AGM-158C Long Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM)AGM-158 Joint Air to Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM)Previously B61 or B83 nuclear bombs could be carried.Bombs: 3 internal bomb bays for 75,000 pounds (34,000 kg) of ordnance.Avionics1× AN/APQ-164 forward-looking offensive passive electronically scanned array radar1× AN/ALQ-161 radar warning receiver and defensive jamming equipment1× AN/ASQ-184 defensive management system1× Sniper Advanced Targeting Pod (optional)42 CommentsWar Happens-com
