B-1 LancerFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

B-1 Lancer

Type: Bomber

Manufacturer: Rockwell InternationalBoeing IDS

Designed by:

Maiden flight: 1974-12-23

Introduced: 1986-10-01

Retired:

Status: 67 active, 24 mothballed

Primary users: United States Air Force

Produced: {{{produced}}}

Built: 104 B-1

Unit cost: US$283.1 million in 1998

Variants:

The Boeing IDS (formerly Rockwell) B-1B Lancer is a long-range strategic bomber in service with theUnited States Air Force (USAF). Together with the B-52 Stratofortress and the B-2 Spirit, it is thebackbone of the United States's long-range bomber force.

Although officially nicknamed the "Lancer", its crews almost never refer to the B-1 by this name. Crewsprefer to call the B-1 the "Bone." Origins of the "Bone" nickname are disputed, but appear to stem froman early newspaper article about the aircraft wherein its name was phonetically spelled out as "B-ONE".Crews, who generally felt the "Lancer" moniker was unappealing, quickly latched onto the "Bone"

nickname. Unlike other combat aircraft, no other competing nickname has ever gained traction withinthe community.

Development

Original B-1 program

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. Thefirst of four prototype B-1A models (s/n 74-158) 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 neverwent into production. The program was cancelled by decision of President Jimmy Carter in 1977,although flight tests of the four B-1A models continued through 1981.

The first B-1A was scrapped at the Rome Air Development Center, New York. The second (s/n 74-159)flew for the subsequent B-1B program, but crashed on August 29, 1984. This aircraft was equipped witha crew escape capsule, instead of conventional ejection seats. The capsule ejected from the aircraft, butthe parachute deployed improperly and the pilot, Doug Benefield, was killed on impact.

The other two B-1As survive. The third prototype (s/n 74-160) is on display at Wings Over the Rockiesin Denver, Colorado. The last B-1A (s/n 74-174) also served in the B-1B program. It was on display atthe National Museum of the United States Air Force near Dayton, Ohio for many years before moving tothe Strategic Air and Space Museum in Ashland, Nebraska. This aircraft has conventional ejection seatsand other features distinctive to the B-1B variant instead of the B-1A.

Rebirth of the B-1 program

The Reagan Administration restarted the B-1 program in 1981 as part of its overall military buildup. TheB-1 was by then intended to serve as an interim bomber in anticipation of the stealthy AdvancedTechnology Bomber (which emerged as the B-2 Spirit). Cynics noted that the Air Force very astutelyspread production subcontracts across many congressional districts, making the aircraft very popular onCapitol Hill.

The first production model of the revised B-1B first flew in October 1984, and the first B-1B, "The Starof Abilene," was delivered to Dyess Air Force Base, Abilene, Texas, in June 1985, with initialoperational capability on October 1, 1986. The final B-1B was delivered May 2, 1988. "The Star ofAbilene" was recently retired and is now on display at the front gate of Dyess AFB.

Partial retirement

A B-1B flying over the Pacific

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 toconcentrate its budget on maintaining availability of the remaining aircraft, although in 2004 a newappropriations bill called for some of the retired aircraft to return to service. In 2004, the USAF returnedseven of the mothballed bombers to service, giving a total force of 67 aircraft, with the rest cannibalizedfor spares. Five of the seven that were brought back to service went to Dyess AFB in Texas, one toEllsworth AFB in South Dakota, and another to Edwards AFB in California. In 2005, The Pentagonannounced the closing of Ellsworth AFB and the transfer of all operational B-1s to Dyess AFB.However, on August 26, 2005, it was announced that Ellsworth AFB would remain open thus notransfer of Ellsworth's B-1s would occur.

Technology

The B-1 has a blended wing and body configuration, along with variable-geometry wing design andturbofan engines, to improve range and speed with enhanced survivability. Forward wing settings areused for takeoff, landings and high-altitude maximum cruise. Aft wing settings are used in high subsonicand supersonic flight, enhancing the B-1's performance. The wings of the B-1B originally were clearedfor use at settings of 15, 25, 55, and 67.5 degrees; 45-degree settings were cleared in 1998–1999.

Unlike the B-1A, the B-1B made no attempt at Mach 2+ speeds, although its F101-GE-102 engines aresomewhat more powerful than those of the B-1A. Its maximum speed at altitude is Mach 1.2 (about950 mph or 1,330 km/h), although its low-level speed, Mach 0.95 (about 700 mph/1,118 km/h) issuperior to the B-1A's Mach 0.85. Technically, the current version of the aircraft can exceed its speedrestriction, but not without risking potential damage to its structure and modified air intakes which weredeveloped to make the aircraft more stealthy.

The B-1's offensive avionics include the Westinghouse (now Northrop Grumman) AN/APQ-164forward-looking offensive radar set with electronic beam steering (and a fixed antenna pointeddownward for reduced radar observability), synthetic aperture radar, ground moving target indicator

(MTI), and terrain-following radar modes, Doppler navigation, radar altimeter, and an inertial navigationsuite. From 1995 on, the B-1B Block D upgrade added a Global Positioning System receiver.

The B-1's defensive electronics include the Eaton AN/ALQ-161 radar warning and defensive jammingequipment, linked to a total of eight chaff/flare dispensers and managed by the AN/ASQ-184 defensivemanagement system. The ALQ-161 has proved to be troublesome in service, earning the B-1B areputation as the "world's first self-jamming bomber." Even the current ALQ-161A upgrade is seen asinadequate, although plans for a defensive systems upgrade program (DSUP) were cancelled forbudgetary reasons. The B-1 has also been equipped to carry the ALE-50 Towed Decoy System. TheLancer has an additional Doppler tail-warning radar to detect aircraft or missiles approaching from therear.

Also aiding the B-1's survivability is its relatively low radar cross-section (RCS). Although nottechnically a stealth aircraft in a comprehensive sense, thanks to the aircraft's structure, serpentine intakepaths, and use of radar-absorbent material, its RCS is about 1/50th that of the B-52 (probably about26 ft²), although the Lancer is not substantially smaller in mass than the Stratofortress.

The B-1 has been upgraded since production through the Conventional Mission Upgrade Program.This multi-stage program added a new MIL-STD-1760 smart-weapons interface that enables the use ofthe Joint Direct Attack Munition and other precision-guided conventional weapons, such as the Wind-Corrected Munitions dispenser (WCMD), the AGM-154 JSOW (Joint Stand-Off Weapon), and theAGM-158 Joint Air to Surface Standoff Munition (JASSM). Future precision munitions such as theSmall Diameter Bomb may be added. These and other improvements are intended to ensure that the B-1will be viable through approximately 2020.

Operational History

The B-1 was given new life as the new threats of the 21st century emerged, and now fills an importantniche in the Air Force inventory. It is worth noting that the project finished on budget, and has highersurvivability and speed when compared to the older B-52, which it was intended to replace. With thearrival of limited numbers of B-2s in the 1990s and the continuing use of B-52s, its value has beenquestioned. However, the capability of a high-speed strike with a large bomb payload for time-sensitiveoperations is useful, and no new strategic bomber is on the immediate horizon.

Originally designed strictly for nuclear war, the B-1's development as an effective conventional bomberwas delayed until the 1990s. By 1991, the B-1 had a fledgeling conventional capability, able to drop the500 pound Mk-82 General Purpose (GP) bomb, although mostly from low altitude. After the absorptionof Strategic Air Command (SAC) into Air Combat Command in 1992, the B-1 began to truly developconventionally. A key part of this development was the stand-up of the B-1 Weapons School Division,also in 1992. By the mid-90s, the B-1 could employ GP weapons as well as various CBUs. By the end ofthe 90s, with the advent of the "Block D" upgrade, the B-1 boasted a full array of guided and unguidedmunitions. This development has continued through the present.

Operationally, the B-1 was first used in combat in support of operations against Iraq during OperationDesert Fox in December 1998, employing unguided GP weapons. B-1s have been subsequently used inOperation Allied Force (Kosovo) and most notably Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan andOperation Iraqi Freedom. In OEF and OIF, the B-1 employed its full array of weapons, most notably theGBU-31, 2000 pound Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM). Also during OEF and OIF the B-1 hasmaintained a 79% mission capable rate, a considerable improvement over its previous 57% average rate.

The B-1 holds several world records for speed, payload and distance. The National AeronauticAssociation recognized the B-1B for completing one of the 10 most memorable record flights for 1993.

Crashes and malfunctions

A single B-1B was lost in December of 2001 over the Indian Ocean; its crew wasrescued. The bomber (of the 28th Bomb Wing, designated ICECUBE 44) wasapproximately 100 miles north of Diego Garcia, whence it had departed, flying enroute to a long-range combat mission over Afghanistan, when the crew declaredan in-flight emergency. Details remain classified, but the crash was attributed bythe pilot, Capt. William Steele, to "multiple malfunctions" causing the bomber togo "out of control". Further information from maintenance specialists related theaircraft mishap to the aircrew experiencing electrical bus failures that contributedto an instrument blackout affecting both primary and backup instruments. It wasalso rumored that the aircraft at the time the aircrew ejected was not in level flightbut inverted and quickly heading nose down towards the Indian Ocean. With novisual reference available to the aircrew of level flight, the 4 members ejectedsafely. The bomber carries what is known as a "structural data collector" or anSDC which constantly records the last 30 seconds of flight control positions,engine throttle settings, and other instrument data. Because of the depth of thewater in which the aircraft crashed, the SDC or "Black Box" was unable to be

recovered from the wreckage and therefore the true nature of the cause wasunable to be positively determined. The aircraft had recently returned fromEllsworth AFB, SD from a routine Phase Inspection and was on its first combatmission after returning to Diego Garcia.

Hostile fire was ruled out as a cause for the crash. The crew spent two hours in the water before beingrescued by a launch from the USS Russell. This was the first B-1B to be lost in combat operations sincethe model became operational in 1986.

On February 18, 1998, a B-1B flying a training mission out of Dyess Air ForceBase was lost over Kentucky when a fire in the cockpit instrument panel shutdown the plane's power. All four crew members were able to eject and wererescued safely. In response to a warning light on the #3 engine, the crew tookaction to shut down the fuel pumps to that engine. However, a panel shortoutcaused a fire, which shut down fuel to all engines, and prevented them from beingrestarted. "[T]he uncommanded shutdown of the three engines, in turn, removedall hydraulic and electrical power from the aircraft, rendering the pilots incapableof restarting the engines and controlling the aircraft," noted Col. David A. Shunk.

In September 1997, a B-1B from the 28th Bomb Wing, flying a training missionout of Ellsworth Air Force Base crashed in the Powder River Military OperatingArea, Montana; all four members of the crew were killed. The cause wasattributed to pilot error.

17 people have been killed in B-1B crashes since the first production model'smaiden flight in 1984.

B-1R

B-1R concept.

The B-1R is a proposed replacement for the B-1B fleet. Boeing's director of global strike integration,Rich Parke, was first quoted about the "B-1R" bomber in Air Force Magazine. Parke said the B-1R (Rstands for "regional") would be a Lancer with advanced radars, air-to-air missiles, and F-22 engines. Itsnew top speed—Mach 2.2—would be purchased at the price of a 20% reduction of the B-1B's combatrange. This proposal would involve modifying existing aircraft. The FB-22 and YF-23 are alternativeproposals.

Additional enhancements would include network-centric capabilities, air-to-air engagement, activeelectronically-scanned array radar, improved defensive systems, and opening up existing external hardpoints for conventional weapons.

Units using the B-1

7th Bomb Wing, Dyess AFB, Abilene, Texaso 9th Bomb Squadrono 28th Bomb Squadron

28th Bomb Wing, Ellsworth AFB, Rapid City, South Dakotao 34th Bomb Squadrono 37th Bomb Squadron

53d Wing, Eglin AFB, Floridao 337th Test and Evaluation Squadron, Dyess AFB, Texas

57th Wing, Nellis AFB, Nevadao 77th Weapons Squadron, USAF Weapons School, Dyess AFB, Texas

Popular culture

Footage shot from the tail of a B-1A/B flying over the desert appears in GodfreyReggio's film Koyaanisqatsi, pictured here

The author Dale Brown frequently features B-1 and B-52 bombers in his books. The unofficial 1983 James Bond film Never Say Never Again features a cruise

missile launch from a B-1 bomber (although a sequence in which cruise missilesare loaded onto the B-1 was filmed with a Concorde SST substituting for the B-1's undercarriage).

In the Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle science fiction novel Footfall, thePresident is taken to safety at NORAD aboard a B-1 bomber, during an alieninvasion.

In the Tom Clancy book Debt of Honor, B-1s are used to test the Japanese airdefenses and against the Indian Navy.

Specifications (B-1B Lancer)

B-1B at RIAT 2004.

General characteristics

Crew: 4: aircraft commander, copilot, offensive systems officer and defensive systems officer Length: 146 ft (44.5 m) Wingspan: Extended: 137 ft (41.8 m) Swept: 79 ft (24.1 m) Height: 34 ft (10.4 m) Wing area: 1,950 ft² (181.2 m²) Airfoil: NA69-190-2 Empty weight: 192,000 lb (87,100 kg) Loaded weight: 326,000 lb (148,000 kg) Max takeoff weight: 477,000 lb (216,400 kg) Powerplant: 4× General Electric F101-GE-102 augmented turbofans

o Dry thrust: 14,600 lbf (64.94 kN) eacho Thrust with afterburner: 30,780 lbf (136.92 kN) each

Performance

Maximum speed: Mach 1.25 (950 mph, 1,330 km/h) Combat radius: 2,993 nm (3,445 mi, 5,543 km) Maximum range: 6,478 nm (7,456 mi, 11,998 km) Service ceiling: 60,000 ft (18,000 m) Wing loading: 167 lb/ft² (816 kg/m²) Thrust/weight: 0.37

Armament

Locations:o 6 external hardpoints for an additional 59,000 lb (27,000 kg) of ordnance

(use for weapons currently restricted by START I treaty)o 3 internal bays for 75,000 lb (34,000 kg) of ordnance.

Options:o Bombs:

84× Mk-82 general purpose bombs 84× Mk-62 naval mines 8× Mk-65 naval mines 30× CBU-87/89 cluster munitions 30× CBU-97 sensor-fused weapons 30× CBU-103/104/105 WCMD 24× GBU-31 JDAM GPS guided bombs (both Mk-84 general

purpose and BLU-109 penetrating bombs) 15x GBU-38 JDAM GPS guided bombs (Mk-82 general purpose

warhead) 24× Mk-84 general purpose bombs

o Missiles: 24× AGM-158 JASSM 12× AGM-154 JSOW

o Fuel: One or more of the three internal weapons bays can be configured tocarry a 10,000 gallon (38,000 L) fuel tank instead of weapons in that bay)

Avionics

1× Westinghouse AN/APQ-164 forward-looking offensive radar 1× Eaton AN/ALQ-161 radar warning and defensive jamming equipment 1× AN/ASQ-184 defensive management system