America’s B-1 Lancers Are On The Move (Again)
Alongside the B-52 Stratofortress and the B-2 Spirit, the B-1 Lancer forms a key part of the U.S. military’s strategic bomber fleet.
Recently, two U.S. Air Force bomber squadrons mobilized their entire fleet of B-1 Lancer strategic bombers.
This is a remarkable feat that involved mobilizing several aircraft around the globe. In a potential near-peer conflict with China or Russia, aircraft like the B-1 Lancer would be at the tip of the spear of the U.S. response.
Mobilizing the B-1 Lancer Fleet
Over the past few weeks, the 34th & 37th Bomber Generation Squadrons mobilized the entire B-1 Lancer fleet stationed in Ellsworth Air Force Base. Some of the aircraft at these bases relocated to other bases within the United States, while others flew all the way to the Indo-Pacific.
The reason for the relocation was the necessity to improve the runways of the air base so that it can host the new B-21 Raider bomber, which will enter service in the next few years.
“It’s a very high paced mission from where I stand. You’re always going from one job to the next,” U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Lane Benefield, 37th Bomber Generation Squadron B-1 crew chief,” said in a press release. “The game plan is always changing, quite literally by the minute on the flight line. This gave [our team] the opportunity to step up into different roles, showing great flexibility from enduring the cold and being away from family and loved ones.”
The Air Force currently has 45 B-1 Lancers in active service. This is no arbitrary number. Congress mandates that at least 45 of the planes remain active at any time; this number can only decrease with appropriate Congressional authorization. The Air Force takes that requirement seriously—and even “revived” an aircraft from the boneyard last year to ensure that it has 45 B-1 bombers operational.
“The mighty B-1 has been around for over 40 years and the foundational mission remains the same: win today, dominate tomorrow,” U.S. Air Force Maj. Andrew Feigen, 37th Bomber Generation Squadron commander, said. “From production to the technicians to the lowest level, elevating the lethality of the B-1 maintainer in partnership with Grand Forks will cause pause in our enemies.”
About the B-1 Lancer
The B-1 Lancer is one of the most capable strategic bombers in the world. With the capacity to carry up to 75,000 pounds of munitions, the B-1 Lancer can level an entire target on its own. But the aircraft is also getting old. The venerable strategic bomber has been in service for almost 40 years, having debuted operationally in 1986. At one point, it was qualified to carry nuclear munitions, but has since lost this ability. Yet the B-21 still serves as an active component of the U.S. military’s global strike force that is tasked with delivering precision strategic strikes anywhere in the world.
Alongside the B-52 Stratofortress and the B-2 Spirit, the B-1 Lancer forms a key part of the U.S. military’s strategic bomber fleet. The Air Force eventually plans to eventually retire the B-1 and B-2 and introduce the B-21 Raider, a sixth-generation stealth strategic bomber. Until that happens, though, the B-1 Lancer will remain an important cog in America’s air power.
About the Author: Stavros Atlamazoglou
Stavros Atlamazoglou is a seasoned defense journalist specializing in special operations and a Hellenic Army veteran (national service with the 575th Marine Battalion and Army HQ). He holds a BA from the Johns Hopkins University and an MA from the Johns Hopkins’ School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). His work has been featured in Business Insider, Sandboxx, and SOFREP.
Image: Shutterstock / Eugene Berman.