Modern-Aviation

Aircraft And Military Development & Applications

75-Rockwell-B-1b-Lancer

The Rockwell B-1 Lancer is a supersonic variable-sweep wing, heavy bomber used by the United States Air Force. It is commonly called the "Bone". It is one of three strategic bombers in the USAF fleet as of 2017, the other two being the B-2 Spirit "Stealth Bomber", and the B-52 Stratofortress.

Length: 146.00 ft Introduced: 01 Oct 1986 Passengers: 4 Type: Strategic bomber Manufacturers: Rockwell International · Boeing · Meritor, Inc. Engine type: General Electric F101

Mission
Carrying the largest conventional payload of both guided and unguided weapons in the Air Force inventory, the multi-mission B-1 is the backbone of America's long-range bomber force. It can rapidly deliver massive quantities of precision and non-precision weapons against any adversary, anywhere in the world, at any time.

Features
The B-1B's blended wing/body configuration, variable-geometry wings and turbofan afterburning engines, combine to provide long range, maneuverability and high speed while enhancing survivability. Forward wing settings are used for takeoff, landings, air refueling and in some high-altitude weapons employment scenarios. Aft wing sweep settings - the main combat configuration -- are typically used during high subsonic and supersonic flight, enhancing the B-1B's maneuverability in the low- and high-altitude regimes. The B-1B's speed and superior handling characteristics allow it to seamlessly integrate in mixed force packages. These capabilities, when combined with its substantial payload, excellent radar targeting system, long loiter time and survivability, make the B-1B a key element of any joint/composite strike force.

The B-1 is a highly versatile, multi-mission weapon system. The B-1B's synthetic aperture radar is capable of tracking, targeting and engaging moving vehicles as well as self-targeting and terrain-following modes. In addition, an extremely accurate Global Positioning System-aided Inertial Navigation System enables aircrews to navigate without the aid of ground-based navigation aids as well as engage targets with a high level of precision. The addition of a fully integrated data link (FIDL) with Link-16 capability provides improved battlefield situation awareness and secure beyond line of sight reach back connectivity. In a time sensitive targeting environment, the aircrew can use targeting data received from the Combined Air Operations Center or other command and control assets to strike emerging targets rapidly and efficiently.

The B-1B's onboard self-protection electronic jamming equipment, radar warning receiver (ALQ-161) and expendable countermeasures (chaff and flare) system and a towed decoy system (ALE-50) complements its low-radar cross-section to form an integrated, robust defense system that supports penetration of hostile airspace. The ALQ-161 electronic countermeasures system detects and identifies the full spectrum of adversary threat emitters then applies the appropriate jamming technique either automatically or through operator inputs.

Current modifications build on this foundation. Radar sustainability and capability upgrades will provide a more reliable system and may be upgraded in the future to include an ultra high-resolution capability and automatic target recognition. The addition of Link-16 and FIDL combined with associated cockpit upgrades will provide the crew with a much more flexible, integrated cockpit, and will allow the B-1 to operate in the fast-paced integrated battlefield of the future. Several obsolete and hard to maintain electronic systems are also being replaced to improve aircraft reliability.

Background
The B-1A was initially developed in the 1970s as a replacement for the B-52. Four prototypes of this long-range, high speed (Mach 2.2) strategic bomber were developed and tested in the mid-1970s, but the program was canceled in 1977 before going into production. Flight testing continued through 1981.
The B-1B is an improved variant initiated by the Reagan administration in 1981. Major changes included and additional structure to increase payload by 74,000 pounds, an improved radar and reduction of the radar cross section by an order of magnitude. The inlet was extensively modified as part of this RCS reduction, necessitating a reduction in maximum speed to Mach 1.2.

The first production B-1 flew in October 1984, and the first B-1B was delivered to Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, in June 1985. Initial operational capability was achieved on Oct. 1, 1986. The final B-1B was delivered May 2, 1988.

The United States eliminated the nuclear mission for the B-1 in 1994. Even though the Air Force expended no further funding to maintain nuclear capabilities, the B-1 was still considered a heavy bomber equipped for nuclear armament until 2007. The conversion to conventional only began in November 2007 under the original START treaty and was completed in March 2011 under the New START treaty. To make that conversion possible, two steps were taken:
During the first step a metal cylindrical sleeve was welded into the aft attachment point of each set of B-1 pylon attachments. This prevented installing B-1 Air Launched Cruise Missile pylons.

During the second step two nuclear armament-unique cable connectors in each of the B-1 weapons bays were removed. This prevented the pre-arm signal from reaching the weapons.

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.

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.

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, 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.

General Characteristics
Crew: 4 (aircraft commander, copilot, offensive systems officer, and defensive systems officer)
Payload: 125,000 lb (56,700 kg) ; internal and external ordnance combined
Length: 146 ft (44.5 m)
Wingspan: Extended: 137 ft (42 m)
Swept: 79 ft (24 m)
Height: 34 ft (10.4 m)
Wing area: 1,950 ft² (181.2 m²)
Airfoil: NACA69-190-2
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)
Fuel capacity, optional: 10,000 U.S. gal (37,900 L) fuel tank each in 1-3 internal weapons bays
Powerplant: 4 × General Electric F101-GE-102 augmented turbofans
Dry thrust: 17,390 lbf (77.4 kN) each
Thrust with afterburner: 30,780 lbf (136.92 kN) each

Role: Supersonic heavy strategic bomber
National origin: United States
Manufacturer: North American
                     Rockwell/Rockwell International
                     Boeing
First flight: 23 December 1974
Introduction: 1 October 1986
Status: In service
Primary user: United States Air Force
Produced: 1973-1974, 1983-1988
Number built: B-1A: 4
                        B-1B: 100
Unit cost: US$283.1 million in 1998 (B-1B)

Performance
Maximum speed: At altitude: Mach 1.25 (830 mph, 720 kn, 1,340 km/h) at 40,000 ft (12,000 m) altitude
At low level: Mach 0.92 (700 mph, 610 kn, 1,100 km/h) at 200-500 ft (60-150 m) altitude
Range: 5,100 nmi (5,900 mi; 9,400 km)
Combat radius: 2,993 nmi (3,444 mi; 5,543 km)
Service ceiling: 60,000 ft (18,000 m)
Wing loading: 167 lb/ft² (816 kg/m²)
Thrust/weight: 0.38

Armaments
Hardpoints: 6 external hardpoints for 50,000 pounds (23,000 kg) of ordnance (use for weapons restricted by arms treaties) and 3 internal bomb bays for 75,000 pounds (34,000 kg) of ordnance.
Bombs:
84× Mk-82 Air inflatable retarder (AIR) general purpose (GP) bombs
81× Mk-82 low drag general purpose (LDGP) bombs
84× Mk-62 Quickstrike sea mines
24× Mk-84 general purpose bombs
24× Mk-65 naval mines
30× CBU-87/89/CBU-97 Cluster Bomb Units (CBU)
30× CBU-103/104/105 Wind Corrected Munitions Dispenser (WCMD) CBUs
24× GBU-31 JDAM GPS guided bombs (Mk-84 GP or BLU-109 warhead)
15× GBU-38 JDAM GPS guided bombs (Mk-82 GP warhead)
48× GBU-38 JDAM (using rotary launcher mounted multiple ejector racks)
48× GBU-54 LaserJDAM (using rotary launcher mounted multiple ejector racks)
96× or 144× GBU-39 Small Diameter Bomb GPS guided bombs (not fielded on B-1 yet)
24× AGM-154 Joint Standoff Weapon (JSOW)
24× AGM-158 Joint Air to Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM)
Previously up to 24× B61 or B83 nuclear bombs could be carried.

Avionics
1× AN/APQ-164 forward-looking offensive Passive electronically scanned array radar
1× AN/ALQ-161 radar warning receiver and defensive jamming equipment
1× AN/ASQ-184 defensive management system
1× Sniper Advanced Targeting Pod (optional)

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