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B-1B Lancer. The Boeing IDS (formerly Rockwell) B-1B Lancer is a long-range strategic bomber in service with the USAF. Together with the B-52 Stratofortress, it is the backbone of the United States' long-range bomber force. The B-1 is a highly versatile, multi-mission weapon system. The B-1B's offensive avionics system includes high-resolution synthetic aperture radar, capable of tracking, targeting and engaging moving vehicles as well as self-targeting and terrain-following modes. The B-1 was conceived as the Advanced Manned Strategic Aircraft (AMSA) program circa 1965. After a prolonged development period, the contract was awarded in 1970 to Rockwell International. The first of four prototype B-1A models flew on December 23 1974. Intended as a high-speed, long-range bomber capable of a supersonic low-level dash and Mach 2.5 at altitude, the B-1A never went into production. The program was canceled in 1977, although flight test of the four B-1A models continued through 1981. One of these aircraft now resides at the National Museum of the United States Air Force near Dayton, Ohio another at Wings Over the Rockies, in Denver, Colorado, and one was converted for use in the B-1B program, then crashed during flight testing on August 29th, 1984. The Reagan administration restarted the B-1 program in 1981, originally as an interim bomber in anticipation of the stealthy Advanced Technology Bomber (which emerged as the B-2 Spirit). The first production model of the revised B-1B first flew in October 1984, and the first B-1B, "The Star of Abilene," was delivered to Dyess Air Force Base, Abilene, Texas, in June 1985, with initial operational capability on October 1, 1986. The final B-1B was delivered May 2, 1988. "The Star of Abilene" was recently retired and is now on display at the front gate of Dyess AFB. A total of 100 front-line aircraft were produced at a cost of over $200 million each. After several write-offs, 93 remained by the turn of the century. In 2003 the USAF decided to retire 33 of the B-1Bs to concentrate its budget on maintaining availability of the remaining aircraft, although in 2004 a new appropriations bill called for some of the retired aircraft to return to service. In 2004 the USAF returned seven of the mothballed bombers to service, giving a total force of 67 aircraft, with the rest cannibalized for spares. Five of the seven that were brought back to service went to Dyess AFB in Texas, one to Ellsworth AFB in South Dakota, and another to Edwards AFB in California. In 2005, The Pentagon announced the closing of Ellsworth AFB and the transfer of all operational B-1s to Dyess AFB. However, on August 26th, 2005, it was announced that Ellsworth AFB would remain open thus no transfer of Ellsworth's B-1s would occur. The B-1B did not have a popular name during its early USAF service. By the time it was given the official popular name "Lancer" in 1990 it had already become known to its crews as the "Bone" (a contraction of "B one," also said to be inspired by its somewhat eerie shape). |
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