Rockwell B-1B Lancer
The Rockwell (now Boeing) B-1B Lancer is a long-range, variable-sweep-wing heavy bomber and a mainstay of America's strategic strike force. Carrying the largest payload of guided and unguided weapons in the Air Force inventory, it combines a blended wing-body shape, afterburning turbofans, and reduced radar signature for speed, range, and survivability. The original supersonic B-1A was cancelled in 1977, but the program was revived by the Reagan administration in 1981 as the improved B-1B, optimized for low-level penetration.
The first B-1B was delivered to Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, in 1985, and the type reached initial operational capability in 1986. After its combat debut in Operation Desert Fox in 1998, the Lancer delivered enormous tonnages in the Balkans, Afghanistan, and Iraq, where its large payload, speed, and long loiter made it a versatile conventional workhorse. It holds dozens of world records for speed, payload, and range.
Specifications
- Manufacturer
- Rockwell International (now Boeing)
- Type
- Long-range strategic heavy bomber
- Crew
- 4
- First Flight
- December 23, 1974 (B-1A); October 18, 1984 (B-1B)
- Powerplant
- Four General Electric F101-GE-102 turbofans, more than 30,000 lb thrust each with afterburner
- Max Speed
- 900-plus mph (Mach 1.2)
- Range
- Intercontinental, unrefueled
- Service Ceiling
- More than 30,000 ft
- Length
- 146 ft (44.5 m)
- Wingspan
- 137 ft extended, 79 ft swept
- Loaded Weight
- 477,000 lb max takeoff
- Armament
- Up to 75,000 lb of mixed ordnance, including JDAMs, JASSM, JSOW, cluster munitions, general-purpose bombs and naval mines in three internal bays