B-1B Lancer

B-1B Lancer (Strategic bomber) – 66

Manufacturer: North American Rockwell/Rockwell International, Boeing

First flight: 23 December 1974

Introduction: 1 October 1986

Produced: 1983–88

Number built: 100

Unit cost: $283.1 million in 1998

Crew: 4 (aircraft commander, copilot, offensive systems officer and defensive systems officer)

Payload: 56,700 kg; internal and external ordnance combined

Length: 44.5 m

Wingspan:

Extended – 41.8 m;

Swept – 24 m

Height: 10.4 m

Wing area: 181.2 m²

Empty weight: 87,100 kg

Loaded weight: 148,000 kg

Max. takeoff weight: 216,400 kg

Powerplant: 4× General Electric F101-GE-102 augmented turbofans

Dry thrust: 6,618 kgf (64.9 kN) each

Thrust with afterburner: 13,962 kgf (136.92 kN) each

Fuel capacity, optional: 38,000 L fuel tank for 1–3 internal weapons bays each

Maximum speed:

At altitude – Mach 1.25 (1,340 km/h at 15,000 m altitude)

At low level – Mach 0.92 (1,100 km/h at 61–152 m altitude)

Range: 11,999 km

Combat radius: 5,544 km

Service ceiling: 18,000 m

Thrust/weight: 0.38

Armament

Hardpoints: six external hardpoints for 23,000 kg of ordnance (use for weapons restricted by arms treaties) and three internal bomb bays for 34,000 kg of ordnance.

Bombs:

84× Mark-82 Air inflatable retarder (AIR) general purpose (GP) bombs;

81× Mark-82 low drag general purpose (LDGP) bombs;

84× Mark-62 Quickstrike sea mines;

24× Mark-84 general purpose bombs;

24× Mark-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);

48x GBU-38 JDAM (using rotary launcher mounted multiple ejector racks);

48x GBU-54 LaserJDAM (using rotary launcher mounted multiple ejector racks);

24× AGM-154 Joint Standoff Weapon (JSOW);

96× or 144× GBU-39 Small Diameter Bomb GPS guided bombs (not fielded on B-1 yet);

24× AGM-158 Joint Air to Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM);

24× B61 or B83 nuclear bombs (no longer carried)

Avionics

AN/APQ-164 forward-looking offensive passive phased-array radar

AN/ALQ-161 radar warning and defensive jamming equipment

AN/ASQ-184 defensive management system

Lockheed Martin Sniper XR targeting pod (optional)

The B-1R is a proposed upgrade of existing B-1B aircraft. The B-1R (R for «regional») would be fitted with advanced radars, air-to-air missiles, and new Pratt & Whitney F119 engines. This variant would have a top speed of Mach 2.2, but with 20% less range.

Existing external hardpoints would be modified to allow multiple conventional weapons to be carried, increasing overall loadout. For air-to-air defense, an Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar would be added and some existing hardpoints modified to carry air-to-air missiles. If needed the B-1R could escape from unfavorable air-to-air encounters with its Mach 2+ speed. Few aircraft are currently capable of sustained speeds over Mach 2.