B-1Bs Begin Return to Ellsworth AFB Following Airstrikes

The long-range bombers had temporarily been relocated to another air base after a crash investigation shut down the runway.

Kimberly Johnson

Wednesday, February 07, 2024 at 03:47 PM ET

Verified

A B-1B Lancer from Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota, takes off from the runway at Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, on February 1. Ellsworth B-1Bs recently launched from Dyess Air Force Base to conduct precision, long-range strikes in Iraq and Syria. [Courtesy: U.S. Air Force]

Key Takeaways:

Ellsworth Air Force Base has reopened its runway one month after a B-1B Lancer crashed during landing on January 4, with the crashed aircraft now cleared and bombers beginning to return.
Following the crash, B-1Bs were temporarily relocated to Dyess AFB, proving their mission capability as some were subsequently deployed from Dyess for retaliatory airstrikes in Iraq and Syria.
The successful relocation and immediate deployment underscore the interoperability and readiness of Ellsworth and Dyess AFB B-1B crews to respond to global threats.

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The runway at Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota, has resumed operations one month after a B-1B Lancer heavy bomber crashed on the airfield while landing, according to a report.

Runway operations were shuttered after the January 4 mishap that occurred as an Air Force B-1B flying as part of a formation crashed during the landing phase. All four aircrew on board the bomber ejected safely. The runway was temporarily reopened January 25 to move “several” B-1Bs assigned to the base to Dyess AFB near Abilene, Texas.