Equipped with a Sniper pod, a B-1B gets airborne from
When President Nixon took
office he reinstated the AMSA
programme, which became
the B-1A in 1969, when an of-
ficial requirement was issued.
Among the respondents was
North American Rockwell (just
Rockwell after 1973), which
proposed an aircraft with a
variable-geometry wing to
offer high supersonic perfor-
mance, but with the ability to
lift a heavy fuel and weapon
load from relatively short
runways. It also featured an
escape capsule in which the
four-person crew could eject.
This design was chosen for
development.
First flight
On 23 December 1974 the
first of four B-1A development
aircraft took to the air. The
flight tests proceeded rela-
tively smoothly, but the whole
programme was called into
question again following the
defection to Japan in 1976 of
Victor Belenko in a MiG25.
Belenkos description of a
super-Foxbat that had look-
down/shoot-down capability
(the MiG-31) cast doubts as
performance and agility, as graphically
to whether the B-1A would be
any more survivable in Soviet
airspace than the B-52.
Soon after he entered office,
President Carter announced
the termination of the B-1A
programme in June 1977.
What was not widely known at
the time was that, shortly after,
he had also authorised the
development of what would
become the B-2 Spirit. How-
ever, the stealthy B-2 would
be many years in development
and the B-52 could not be
expected to survive in Soviet
airspace. Therefore, in October
1981 President Reagan rein-
stated the B-1, with a require-
ment for 100 B-1B aircraft.
Optimised for low level
There were significant changes
introduced to the design. The
Mach 2 high altitude require-
ment was reduced to around
Mach 1.25, but low-level speed
was increased to Mach 0.92.
Most importantly, Rockwell
engineers incorporated various
low-observable technologies
to greatly reduce the radar
signature of the aircraft, while
a powerful electronic warfare
One of the key attributes of the
Lancer is its extraordinary low-level
demonstrated here. The view also
highlights the three weapon bay
sections in the central fuselage.
Dyess AFB. The fleet is expected to remain operational Right:: Caption Caption Caption
Caption Caption Caption Caption Two B-1Bs release flares during a low-level training exercise. In 2003
to around 2038, with upgrades enhancing the aircrafts
Caption Caption Caption Caption around a third of the fleet was mothballed to release funds for further
weapons repertoire and connectivity.
Caption Caption Caption Caption upgrades for the remainder, but a year later the value of the B-1B was
Caption Caption Caption Caption such that seven were reinstated. The current fleet stands at 67 aircraft.
Caption Caption Caption Caption
Caption Caption Caption
suite was developed to further a huge conventional load, but aircraft. In the meantime, the important step in the transfor- played its part alongside B-2s a Cold War nuclear warrior
enhance survivability. at first this was not employed. US Air Force implemented a mation process, adding GPS- and B-52s in the brief opening to a platform for 21st cen-
Two of the B-1As were modi- By 1991 some of the fleet rolling Conventional Mu- guided JDAM bombs to give strategic attacks, flying from tury close support.
fied to act as B-1B prototypes, could carry 500-lb (227-kg) nitions Upgrade Program a precision attack capability. Diego Garcia. Although there Operation Iraqi Free-
entering flight test in March Mk 82 bombs, but training (CMUP) that turned the B-1B The first JDAM was successfully were few fixed targets left to dom in 2003 saw the B-1
1983. The first production with this weapon did not into a highly capable conven- dropped in February 1998, and attack, B-1Bs continued to be involved heavily again, and
B-1B flew on 4 September begin until July, too late for tional bomber. early Block D-modified aircraft of inestimable use as on-call the fleet has continued to
1984, and all 100 had been the B-1 to participate in Desert Early steps increased the were used over Serbia and bombers. The precision ca- be upgraded, adding the
delivered by May 1988. Storm. free-fall weapons repertoire, Kosovo during the 1999 Allied pability of the JDAMs, com- Sniper targeting pod to its
In October 1986 the B-1B The end of the Cold War and during this period the Force operations. bined with the aircrafts long repertoire.
achieved initial operational brought with it a major trans- B-1B saw its first action during By 2001 the B-1 had ma- endurance, allowed it to
capability, but only in the formation for the B-1B fleet. the December 1998 Desert Fox tured as a JDAM bomber, loiter over the battle area, See AiRcraft Data Cards
nuclear strike role, armed with The nuclear mission ended, mini-campaign against Iraqi and it was heavily employed waiting for pop-up targets. Boeing B-52H Stratofortress SECTION 12 CARD 07
freefall weapons. The capa- and by 1995 all nuclear wiring air defence installations. during the Enduring Freedom Thus, the B-1 had complet- Northrop Grumman B-2A Spirit SECTION 12 CARD 82
cious weapon bays could carry had been removed from the CMUP Block D was the most operations over Afghanistan. It ed its transformation from Rockwell B-1B Lancer SECTION 12 CARD 89
B-1B Weapon loading options
84 x 500- 30 x CBU-87 24 x GBU-31 30 x Wind- 12 x AGM-154 JSOW
1 lb (227kg)
Mk82 or Mk
2 Combined Effects
Munitions, CBU89
3 JDAM (Joint
Direct Attack
4 Corrected
Munitions
5 (Joint Stand-Off
Weapon); medium-
The three weapons bays provide a range of loading options. The 62 Quickstrike Gator anti-tank Munition); Dispensers); range precision
aircraft was designed with a moveable bulkhead between the low-drag and anti-personnel precision attack cluster munitions weapon; weighs
forward two bays so that it could be reconfigured to carry cruise general- mines, CBU-97 weapon guided equipped with 1,065-1,095lb
missiles, which were longer than the standard bay. As well as purpose Sensor Fused by GPS, nominal inertial navigation (483497 kg) at
weapons, the bays can also accommodate auxiliary fuel tanks to bombs or Weapons; all weigh weight of 2,000 lb system updated launch.
extend the already impressive range at the expense of bombload. mines. from 950-1,000 lb (907 kg). by GPS data.
(431454 kg).
Forward Intermediate Aft
bay bay bay
Moveable buklhead
24 x AGM-158 JASSM low-
1 1 6 observable stand-off cruise
missile used for long-range
attack missions; launch weight
around 2,000 lb (907 kg).
2 2 Below: The B-1B Conventional Bomb
Modules (CBM) work on the gun clip
Above: Conventional Bomb
Modules are pre-loaded clips that
3 3 principle, whereby CBMs can be loaded
into the B-1Bs weapon bays with
bombs already in place. This
are winched into the B-1Bs bomb
CBM is fitted to carry 10
bay. They provide maximum
bomb carriage but with reduced
weapons versatility.
4 4 weapons in a diagonal
configuration.
5 5
Right: The B-1 has a rotary
launcher option that allows it to
carry and launch mixed weapons.
Here a variety of GPS-guided
weapons from the JDAM family
are shown. 6 6
13 14
 Inside the B-1B Lancer bomber
Rockwell B-1B Lancer cutaway key
1 Radome
2 Multi-mode phased array radar
antenna
3 Low observable shrouded scanner
mounting and tracking mechanism
4 AN/APQ-146 offensive radar system
equipment bays
5 Pitot heads
6 Foreplane hydraulic actuator
7 Structural mode control system
(SMCS) foreplane
8 Nose undercarriage stowed position
9 Control column
10 Rudder pedals
11 Air refuelling receptacle
12 Windscreen panels
13 Fully-shrouded instrument panel
14 Cockpit roof escape hatches
15 Co-pilots station
16 Weber ACES II zerozero ejection
seats, all positions
17 Pilots station
18 Crew toilet
19 Conditioned air supply ducting
20 Ventral boarding ladder
21 Defensive Systems Operators (DSO)
station
22 Systems operators display and
control consoles
23 Observers folding seat
24 Offensive Systems Operators station
(OSO)
25 Cockpit roof ejection hatches
26 Glideslope antenna
27 SATCOM antenna
28 Avionics racks, port and starboard,
flight control and communications
equipment
29 Avionics cooling air ground
connection
30 Electrical equipment bay
31 Defensive avionics systems
transmitting antennas
32 Forward fuselage integral fuel tanks,
total system capacity 202,254lb
(91742 kg)
33 Weapons bay movable bulkhead
34 Weapons bay fuel tank, typical,
various sizes up to 2,903 US gal
(10989 litres)
35 Chaff/flare launchers
36 RFS antenna, port and starboard
37 Starboard leading-edge RFS/ECMS
equipment bay
38 UHF/IFF antenna
39 Upper fuselage cable and systems
ducting
19
40 Weapons bay door actuating
mechanism
41 Retractable spoiler panel
42 Port leading-edge antenna panel
43 RFS/ECMS transmitting antennas
44 Defensive avionics system equipment
45 Weapons bay doors
46 Rotary weapons carrier/launcher
47 Wing pivot box integral fuel tank
48 Electron beam-welded titanium wing
pivot box carry-through structure
49 Blended sidebody integral fuel tank
50 Wing sweep actuator hydraulic drive
unit
51 Wing sweep control screw jack
52 Starboard wing integral fuel tank
53 Fuel system vent and feed piping
54 Seven-segment leading-edge slats
55 Starboard navigation and strobe lights
56 Fuel jettison vent
57 Spoiler panels/lift dumpers
58 Starboard single-slotted flap
59 Wing fully-swept position
60 Wing shroud panels
61 Main undercarriage wheel bay
62 Flight control system avionics
equipment
63 Undercarriage bay roof fuel tank
64 Air supply ducting
65 Rear weapons bay rotary launcher
66 Weapons bay surround integral fuel
tank
67 Starboard engine exhausts
68 Tailplane automatic flight control
system equipment
69 Fin/tailplane support structure
20
70 All-moving tailplane hydraulic
actuators
71 Starboard tailplane panel
72 Fin leading-edge HF antenna
73 Fin-tip ECMS and rendezvous beacon
antennas
74 Tail navigation and strobe lights
75 Rudder
76 Rudder rotary actuators
77 Rudder SCAS unit
78 RFS/ECMS antenna
79 Port all-moving tailplane
80 Static dischargers
81 Tail radome
82 RFS/ECMS transmitting antennas
83 Defensive system avionics equipment
racks
84 Rear fuselage fuel tank 96 Variable-area afterburner nozzles
85 Fuel tank pressurant nitrogen bottle 97 Port wing fully-swept position
86 Rear weapons bay 98 Port single-slotted flap
87 Main engine mounting beam 99 Flap screw jacks
88 Fuel cooling heat exchanger 100 Port spoiler/lift dumper panels
89 Fuel cooler ventral air scoop
90 Hydraulic system reservoirs
91 Auxiliary power unit (APU)
101 Fixed portion of trailing edge
102 Fuel jettison
103 Port navigation and strobe lights
104 Leading-edge slat segments
105 Slat screw jacks and guide rails
106 Slat drive torque shaft
107 Port wing integral fuel tank
108 Drive shaft linkage to flap torque shaft
109 Intake duct anti-radar reflection baffles
110 Wing pivot bearing
111 Port wing sweep actuator
112 Variable-wing sweep sealing horn
113 Anti-collision strobe light
114 Engine nacelle bifurcated air intake
115 AGM-69 SRAM missiles, eight on
rotary launcher
116 Iron bomb carrier, maximum of three
internally
117 Mk 82 500-lb (227-kg) HE bombs, 28
per carrier
118 Mk 36 mine
119 CBU-89B cluster bomb
120 B61 free-fall nuclear weapon
121 B83 free-fall nuclear weapon
122 ALCM eight-round carrier/rotary
launcher
92 Airframe-mounted engine accessory
equipment gearbox
93 FADEC engine controls 123 AGM-86B ALCM
94 Engine bleed air pre-cooler 124 AGM-86B ALCM deployed
95 General Electric F101-GE-102 configuration
afterburning engines