Bomber Aircraft: Rockwell B-1B Lancer Intercontinental Strategic Bomber

Based on the B-1A bomber, the B-1B was developed by Rockwell International in the 1980s, when 100 of the aircraft were produced to support a nuclear mission and were stationed at Strategic Air Command (SAC) bases. In the 1990s, the B-1B was transitioned to a conventional-weapons mission.

Nuclear Mission Capabilities

From 1985 to 1997, the B-1B supported a nuclear mission with the following capabilities:

* High-speed flight of Mach 1.25
* Gross takeoff weight of 477,000 pounds
* The AGM-69A nuclear short-range attack missile (SRAM)
* Westinghouse synthetic aperture radar and offensive-defensive avionics systems

Conventional Mission Capabilities

With the end of the cold war, the B-1Bs were converted to support conventional munitions, and 32 of them were retired beginning in 2001 The 68 remaining B-1Bs retain the speed, payload and targeting capabilities along with the following new conventional enhancements, which were introduced in phases by Boeing:

• Hardware and software enhancements to accommodate a broad range of conventional gravity weapons such as 24 Mk84 bombs, 84 Mk82 bombs or 30 conventional bomb units.
• Global positioning system (GPS) navigation, joint direct attack munitions (JDAM), anti-jam radios, and the ALE-50 towed decoy countermeasure
• 
  New mission computers, wind compensated munitions dispensers (WCMDs), the joint stand-off weapon (JSOW), the joint air-to-surface stand-off missile (JASSM), and the ability to employ multiple types of weapons simultaneously from the three weapons bays.

Future capabilities include new digital radios, cockpit display and sensor improvements improved electronic countermeasures systems, radar warning receivers, external carriage capability and new weapons.
Combat Service and Awards

The B-1B has been distinguished by the following combat activity and awards:

• Combat operations including Desert Fox (Iraq, 1998), Allied Force (Kosovo, 1999), Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan, 2001+), Iraqi Freedom (2003+)
• A very high ratio of precision guided munitions dropped per combat sortie -- from a maximum ratio of 1% of sorties delivering 22% of the guided weapons in Iraqi Freedom (1:22) to a minimum ratio of 5% of sorties delivering 70% of the JDAM weapons in Afghanistan (5:70)
• 100 world records for speed, payload, and distance

HISTORY:
First Flight (B-1A) 23 December 1974
(B-1B) 18 October 1984
Service Entry 1 October 1986

CREW:
four: pilot, copilot, 2 electronic warfare/weapon systems officers

ESTIMATED COST:
$283 million [1998$]

AIRFOIL SECTIONS:
Wing Root unknown
Wing Tip unknown

DIMENSIONS:Length: 147.00 ft (44.81 m)Wingspan unswept: 136.71 ft (41.67 m)swept: 78.21 ft (23.84 m)Height: 34.83 ft (10.36 m)Wing Area 1,950 ft² (181.2 m²)Canard Area: unknown



WEIGHTS:
Empty:192,000 lb (87,090 kg)Normal Takeoff unknown Max Takeoff: 477,000 lb (216,365 kg)Fuel Capacity internal: unknown external: unknown Max Payload 80,000 lb (36,290 kg)

PROPULSION: Powerplant four General Electric F101-102 afterburning turbofans Thrust 123,120 lb (547.7 kN) with afterburner

PERFORMANCE:
Max Level Speed at altitude: 1,000 mph (1,600 km/h) at 36,090 ft (11,000 m), Mach 1.5 at sea level: 750 mph (1,205 km/h), Mach 0.99
low-level mission: 600 mph (965 km/h) at 200 ft (61 m)
Initial Climb Rate unknown
Service Ceiling unknown
Range 6,090 nm (11,265 km)
g-Limits unknown

ARMAMENT:
Gun none Stations three internal weapons bays and fourteen external hardpoints Air-to-Surface Missile originally up to 38 AGM-69 SRAM or 22 AGM-86 ALCM [no longer permitted under START] up to 12 AGM-154 JSOW, up to 24 AGM-158 JASSM Bomb originally up to 26 B28/B43 or 24 B61/B83 nuclear bombs [no longer permitted under START], up to 84 Mk 82 GP, up to 24 Mk 84 GP, up to 24 GBU-31 JDAM, up to 30 CBU-87/89/97 cluster, up to 30 CBU-103/104/105 WCMD Other up to 84 Mk 36 or Mk 62 500-lb sea mines, up to 8 Mk 85 sea mines

KNOWN VARIANTS:
B-1A Original design with less-refined aerodynamics but capable of Mach 2 at altitude, was cancelled in 1977 in favor of rearming the B-52 with cruise missiles; 4 prototypes built
B-1B Production model with an improved shape for greater stealth and better flight performance at low altitudes; 100 built
EB-1B Proposal to modify B-1B airframes as stand-off electronic warfare jamming platforms to replace the EA-6B Prowler jamming aircraft
B-1R Boeing proposal to rebuild the existing B-1B fleet as a "regional" fighter bomber force by replacing the F101 engines with the F119 turbofan used in the F-22 to increase speed to Mach 2.2 but at the cost of reduced range, the rebuilt bomber would carry an AESA radar for improved targeting and would serve as a "truck" carrying a large payload of bombs, air-to-ground missiles, and air-to-air missiles

KNOWN COMBAT RECORD:

• Iraq - Operation Southern Watch (USAF, 1998-2003)


• Iraq - Operation Desert Fox (USAF, 1998)


• Kosovo - Operation Allied Force (USAF, 1999)


• Afghanistan - Operation Enduring Freedom (USAF, 2001-present)


• Iraq - Operation Iraqi Freedom (USAF, 2003-present)

KNOWN OPERATORS:

• United States (US Air Force)


• United States (US Air National Guard)