Rockwell B-1B Lancer

Rockwell B-1B Lancer Long Range Strategic Bomber, USA The Rockwell B-1B Lancer traces its origins to the B-1A prototype strategic bomber of the 1970s. The basic B-1A design was much revised and resulted in 100 production B-1B Lancers, the first of which flew in production in 1984. It entered service with the U.S. Air Force in 1986. The B-1B has variable geometry, outer wing panels, some degree of stealthiness. It was optimized for the low-level, high-speed penetration role against sophisticated air defense systems. This bomber was designed to carry nuclear weapons and attack important Soviet targets. Weapons are carried on preloaded gun clip-type modules or rotary launchers. With the end of the Cold War, the B-1B lost its nuclear strike role and was re-rolled instead for conventional warfare. The B-1B's ability to carry up to 34,020 kilograms of bombs internally more than any other bomber gives an added flexibility to the USAF's combat operations. At the heart of this re-rolling was the Conventional Munitions Upgrade Program, CMUP. Segmented into blocks, this was designed to expand the B-1's lethality, survivability and maintainability as a conventional bomber. Block C provided for the carriage of a range of cluster bombs, CM, Gator and SFW. Block D added GBU-31 Joint Direct Attack Munitions compatibility, as well as a new countermeasures system including ALE-50 towed decoy and a new comms-slash-navigation system. Block E became operational in 2003, adds a precision strike ability with the WCMD, JSOW and JASSM weapons. Block F will witness further improvements in defensive capability, including ALE-55 decoy for service from 2003 and completion in 2009. The B-1B was designed to penetrate hostile air defenses at low altitudes and high speed with the aid of comprehensive countermeasures systems. However, modern air defense systems can easily detect and destroy such aircraft even at very low altitudes. Its primary offensive system is the APQ-164 multi-mode radar, which includes a low-observable phased array antenna for low-altitude terrain following an accurate navigation. The B-1B saw its combat debut over Iraq during Desert Fox on December 17, 1998 but really proved its worth during Allied force in 1999, during which aircraft deployed from the UK dropped around 5,000 Mk.82 bombs. Around 70 Lancers are available for operations at any one time, dispersed between three wings of USAF Air Combat Command and two wings of the Air National Guard.