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 faced a challenging development, with the initial B-1A project canceled due to cost and strategic shifts, but was revived as the B-1B in the 1980s for strategic nuclear deterrence against the Soviet Union.
Following the Cold War, the B-1B Lancer transitioned to a conventional munitions role, proving highly effective in various combat missions, including tactical bombing and close air support in operations such as Desert Fox, Allied Force, and those in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Despite its combat effectiveness, the B-1B fleet has been significantly reduced due to structural fatigue from extensive use in roles it wasn't originally designed for and is scheduled to be phased out over the next two decades, replaced by the B-21 Raider.
Ironically, the B-1B, designed to replace the B-52, will be retired before the much older B-52, marking the end of the U.S. dedicated supersonic bomber capability as stealth becomes the primary metric of bomber effectiveness.

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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.