FLYING Classics: B-1B's Legacy of Mission Flexibility

The B-1B Lancer's roles have included nuclear deterrence and close-air support.

Scott Mall

Friday, October 07, 2022 at 09:11 AM ET

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A B-1B with wings swept full forward. [Courtesy: USAF]

Key Takeaways:

The B-1 bomber program experienced a turbulent start, with the B-1A variant canceled in 1977 due to cost before being revived as the B-1B by President Reagan in 1981, initially as a strategic nuclear deterrent against the Soviet Union.
After the Cold War, the B-1B transitioned effectively to a conventional warfare role, proving highly successful in numerous combat operations by delivering a disproportionately large amount of precision ordnance with fewer sorties.
Despite its combat effectiveness, the B-1B fleet is being phased out due to structural fatigue from extensive use in roles it wasn't designed for, ironically retiring before the older B-52 it was intended to replace, as the USAF modernizes with the B-21 Raider.

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In 1964, the U.S. Air Force (USAF) sought a new bomber that could fly at supersonic speeds at high altitude and at high subsonic speeds at low altitude. However, then Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara found crewed bombers unnecessary as a nuclear deterrent. Moreover, the Vietnam War was ramping up, so McNamara limited the bomber project to studies and component development.

With a widening war, the strategic, fast, high-flying bomber project stalled in the 1960s, while the B-52—which excelled in a low-altitude role—remained relevant on bombing missions in Vietnam.