Summary
- The B-1B Lancer can reach supersonic speeds of 900-plus mph (Mach 1.2)
- The bomber holds 50 world records for speed, payload, range, and time of climb.
- It carries 59,000 lb (26,761 kg) of ordnance on six external hardpoints and 75,000-lb. (34,109 kg) payload in its internal weapons bays, with capabilities of carrying 24 AGM-158 JASSM cruise missiles.
One good North American Rockwell/Rockwell International/Boeing B-1B Lancer (AKA the "Bone") article deserves another.
Related
5 Fast Facts On The Powerhouse B-1B Lancer
The B-1B Lancer weathered an initial storm of controversy and is now nearly 50 years old. Here are 5 fun facts about this bomber,
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Two months after penning my "5 Fast Facts On The Powerhouse B-1B Lancer" piece for Simple Flying, I shall now follow-up by addressing some Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on this famous bomber.
Photo:U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Robert W. Valenca | Wikimedia Commons
Can the B-1 Lancer go supersonic?
Short answer: "Yes" (as already indicated in the title of this article). But of course, we want a bit more in the way of specifics, don't we?
The ever-handy official US Air Force Fact Sheets lists a maximum airspeed of "900-plus mph (Mach 1.2 at sea level)," which equates to 1,481.76 km/h or 800.08 knots.
For the purpose of comparison & contrast, the US Air Force's other two heavy strategic bombers, the Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit "Stealth Bomber" and the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress (AKA the "BUFF"), max out at a modest Mach 0.82 (630 mph; 1,013.88 km/h; 547,45 kn) and Mach 0.84 (650 mph; 1,046.07 km/h; 564.83 kn).
The Fact Sheets add the following:
"The B-1B holds almost 50 world records for speed, payload, range, and time of climb in its class. The National Aeronautic Association recognized the B-1B for completing one of the 10 most memorable record flights for 1994. The most recent records were made official in 2004."
That impressive speed is made possible by four General Electric F101-GE-102 afterburning turbofan engines, which produce 17,390 lbf (77.4 kN) thrust each dry, and 30,780 lbf (136.9 kN) with afterburner.
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How many cruise missiles can a B-1 carry?
The "Bone" has six external hardpoints with a carrying capacity of 59,000 lb (26,761 kg) of ordnance, along with a 75,000-lb. (34,109 kg) payload in its internal weapons bays. Airforce Technology lists two cruise missile types in the B-1's arsenal:
- Boeing AGM-86 air-launched cruise missile (ALCM)
- Lockheed Martin AGM-158 joint air to surface stand-off missiles (JASSM)
AT doesn't specify how many AGM-86s the warbird can carry, but does specify that the plane can carry 24 of the AGM-158s, which the article describes thusly:
"The Lockheed Martin JASSM is a long-range precision standoff cruise missile with digital jam-resistant global positioning system (GPS)/inertial navigation guidance and infrared seeker...JASSM weighs 1,020kg (2,250lb) and has a range over 370km (200nm) and a dual-mode penetrator and blast fragmentation warhead...The B-1B successfully launched the first JASSM-ER missile, which has a range of 926km (500nm), in June 2006."
Photo: US Air Force | Wikimedia Commons
As for the AGM-86 (which was originally developed for the B-52), it wields a warhead of either 2,000 lb or 3,000 lb (Block 0 and Block I respectively) and has a range of 1,500+ miles (2,414+ km).
Related
5 Strategic Uses Of The B-1B Lancer Bomber For The US Air Force
The strategic roles and responsibilities of the B-1 have evolved through the years.
"AGM" stands for Air-to-Ground Missile"
How many B-1 bombers are still in service?
Depends which source you consult. The aforementioned USAF Fact Sheets report an "active force" of 62 and 2 in "test" status. however, that page was last updated in September 2016.
Meanwhile, the World Directory of Modern Military Aircraft (WDMMA), which was last updated sometime this year, lists only 39 airframes in the Lancer fleet. It's worth noting, as pointed out in a November 2020 Air Force Times article, that the USAF had asked Congress for permission to retire 17 of the bombers in 2021.
A total of 104 Bones have been built; the initial batch from 1973 to 1974, and resuming from 1983 to 1988 after then-US President Ronald Reagan resurrected the project from the cancelation death warrant signed by his POTUS predecessor, Jimmy Carter, The warbird will celebrate its 50th birthday (maiden flight anniversary, that is) this coming December.
How was the B-1B actually performed in combat?
Short answer: Quite well, thank you very much. For more details. we turn to those USAF Fact Sheets one more time:
"The B-1B was first used in combat in support of operations against Iraq during Operation Desert Fox in December 1998. In 1999, six B-1s were used in Operation Allied Force, delivering more than 20 percent of the total ordnance while flying less than 2 percent of the combat sorties."
Operation Allied Force was a NATO aerial bombing campaign against then-Serbian dictator Slobodan Milošević intended to dissuade Milošević and his forces from their ethnic cleansing campaign against the Muslim majority populace in Kosovo.
"During the first six months of Operation Enduring Freedom, eight B-1s dropped nearly 40 percent of the total tonnage delivered by coalition air forces. This included nearly 3,900 JDAMs [Joint Direct Attack Munitions], or 67 percent of the total. In Operation Iraqi Freedom, the aircraft flew less than 1 percent of the combat missions while delivering 43 percent of the JDAMs used. The B-1 continues to be deployed today, flying missions daily in support of continuing operations."
For the benefit of anybody unfamilar with JDAMs, they are a guidance tail kit that converts existing unguided free-fall bombs (AKA gravity bombs, AKA "dumb bombs") into accurate, adverse weather "smart" munitions, thanks to the addition of a new tail section that contains an inertial navigational system and a Global Positioning System (GPS) guidance control unit.
This tail kit can be attached to either the 2,000-lb (907.18 kg) BLU-109/MK 84, the 1,000-lb (453.59 kg) BLU-110/MK 83 or the 500-lb (226.79 kg) BLU-111/MK 82 warhead. Exemplifying the spirit of "One Team, One Fight," the JDAM is a joint U.S. Air Force and Department of Navy program.
