The B-1B Lancer, also known as “The Bone”, is an American long range bomber. It is built by Boeing Defence and Space Group. It became operational in 1986, and still has the largest internal payload space of any bomber. Only 100 were ever built, and there are 67 still in service. It has a blended wing-body construction and turbo fan engines, which help it reach 900 mph (Mach 1.2). The wings move, so it uses forward wing settings for takeoff, landing, and cruising. It uses aft wing settings are used for reaching top speeds. It also is used to enhance the mobility. Despite being developed almost 40 years ago, it is still one of the best bombers in the world.
Specs and Details
The B-1B Lancer is a four person aircraft, with an aircraft commander, pilot, offensive systems officer, and defensive systems officer. It has four F101-GE-102 turbofan engines with over 30,000 pounds of thrust each. It has a wingspan of 137 feet when fully extended, and 79 feet when the wings are in aft position. It has a length of 146 feet and a height of 34 feet. It has a payload size of up to 74,000 pounds. It has both forward-facing and terrain following radar. It also has an extremely accurate Global Positioning System and an Inertial Navigation System. It is extremely precise with it’s payloads, no matter the environment. It has great countermeasures, with an electronic jamming equipment, chaffs, and flares. It is all controlled by an electronic system that can automatically release countermeasures when they detect a threat.
Why Is It Still So Successful?
The B-1B Lancer is highly versatile. It is capable of tracking, targeting, and engaging with moving things. Its extremely advanced systems allows the crew to navigate without the aid of ground based navigation. It can engage extremely accurately with any target. With its extremely high speeds and great maneuverability, its ability to fly at both high and low altitudes, and it’s great survivability, it is a great addition to any strike force. It is easily able to integrate mixed payloads. The reason why it is still so successful is its superior technology. It has continued to be upgraded to keep it up to date. Its body was a great feat of engineering, with its moving wings and sleek design.
What Has It Been Used For?
It was created during the cold war as nuclear bomber. That was eliminated in 1994 however. Its first mission was in December of 1998, during Operation Desert Fox. In 1999, six B-1B bombers were used Operation Allied Force, and they delivered over 20% of the total bombs dropped. They did this while flying only 2% of the sorties. They continued flying missions in Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. It continues being deployed today, and it is currently being used to subdue Iranian Proxies and other conflicts.
Related Stories:
https://www.af.mil/About-Us/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/104500/b-1b-lancer/
https://www.military.com/equipment/b-1b-lancer
https://www.businessinsider.com/b-1-bomber-message-iranian-proxies-us-air-force-colonel-2024-2
https://www.airforce-technology.com/projects/b-1b/
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