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Able to carry the largest payload of both guided and unguided weapons in the Air Force inventory, the B-1B Lancer is the backbone of America's long-range bomber force. A B-1B is scheduled to both fly and be on static display at the 2011 Selfridge Air Show and Open House, Aug. 20-21 at the base. The highly-versatile and multi-mission capable B-1 is in high demand in support of operations around the world. "This is an awesome opportunity to see the Lancer up close and personal," said Lt. Col. Phillip Sheridan, vice wing commander of the 127th Wing, which is based at...

The last 28th Bomb Wing B-1B Lancer received the necessary modifications to operate the Sniper advanced targeting pod Oct. 18. The advanced targeting pod acts as a long-range camera, which can pinpoint targets for precision strikes and close-air-support missions. "It's hard to imagine doing close-air support without it," said Capt. William Louie, the 34th Bomb Squadron weapons systems officer. "The sniper pod and the B-1 go together very well, especially with the expanded mission of the bomber." Since its combat debut in 2008, the Sniper pod has become an invaluable tool in assisting coalition servicemembers on the ground in hostile...

B-1B Lancer achieved 10,000 flight hours here, June 12. After 34th Aircraft Maintenance Unit professionals braved temperatures in excess of 110 degrees Fahrenheit preparing the aircraft for the flight, the aircrew stepped in and performed the milestone mission, despite an 18-hour duty day. "The tremendous amount of man-hours spent maintaining the B-1 and the sacrifices the maintainers endure away from their families, working extremely long hours in austere locations, has facilitated this historic event," said Master Sgt. Mathias Stewart, 34 AMU Airframe Powerplant General B-1 flight chief. "I am an extremely big fan of all maintainers, especially the crew chiefs...

Last week, we wrote that the Air Force Council, the blue suiters board of directors that advises the air chief, was considering deep cuts to force structure to meet aggressive savings targets laid out by Defense Secretary Robert Gates. One option they are reportedly considering is early retirement of all 66 B-1B Lancer bombers, last delivered in the late 1980s. Yesterday, the Lancer fleet got a hearty shout-out from new installed Afghan commander Gen. David Petraeus. “It is a great platform,” he told senators at his confirmation hearing. “It carries a heck of a lot of bombs… and it has...

U.S. Air Force B-1B Lancer heavy bombers (assigned to the 28th Bomb Squadron in Dyess Air Force Base, Texas) on a training mission in New Mexico, USA1600 x 942 pixels + 2208 x 1300 pixels + 3200 x 1884 pixels + via http://ChamorroBible.org/gpw/gpw-20060914.htm The Photographer Master Sgt. Kevin J. Gruenwald, United States Air Force  

Back to the Title 10 side of the house for a moment; the Air Force Council meets today to consider further cuts in aircraft to meet aggressive savings targets laid out by Defense Secretary Robert Gates. One option on the table: early retirement of all 66 B-1B Lancer bombers (the last delivery of which came back in 1988). Force structure cuts might also extend to the air arm’s much cherished but currently under-utilized fighter force. The service already plans to early retire 250 fighters this year, Air Force Secretary Michael Donley said last month; gone are 112 F-15s, 134 F-162,...

The non-nuclear B-1 Lancer has adapted from a strategic mission to a close-air support role, and will continue to play an effective part in today's fight in Afghanistan and Iraq, according to leaders here. While the remaining bombers in the Air Force inventory transferred to Air Force Global Strike Command, the B-1 has become the go-to airframe when combatant commanders want a show of force or support for ground troops. "The predominance of what we are doing right now in theater is close-air support; non-traditional intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance; and armed overwatch" said Col. Charlie Catoe, 7th Operations Group commander....

1024 x 818 pixels . . . 2486 x 1987 pixels . . .  via and more info http://www.flickr.com/photos/av8pix/2490787779/   1630 x 1202 pixels . . . 2306 x 1700 pixels . . .  via and more info http://ChamorroBible.org/gpw/gpw-200905.htm  

Testing of the Lockheed Martin Sniper Targeting Pod on board the B-1B Lancer bomber has been accelerated in recent and is nearly completed, leading to the Air Force's Air Combat Command plans to approve sending pod-equipped bombers on operational missions by mid-summer. Because the sniper pod is a desperately needed capability in theater, Edwards Global Power Bomber Combined Test Force and the 337th Test and Evaluation Squadron from Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, combined the operational and developmental testing of a B-1B Lancer to accelerate the integration of the sniper targeting pod with the B-1B bomber. "Everyone at the here...

1. USAF B-2 Spirit stealth bomber, with a Prandtl-Glauert Condensation Cloud, over the Pacific Ocean photographed by Bobbi Garcia. More info about the photo: http://web.archive.org/web/20031205232202/www.edwards.af.mil/archive/2003/2003-archive-garcia_photo.html Watch the first 15 seconds of this video: http://www.as.northropgrumman.com/products/b2spirit/assets/vm_b2_tx.wmv Via http://chamorrobible.org/gpw/gpw-20040817.htm 2. USAF B-52 Stratofortress loaded with Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAM) photographed by USAF Tech Sgt. Richard Freeland on 15 April 2003 during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Via http://chamorrobible.org/gpw/gpw-20051129.htm 3. USAF B-1B Lancer bomber with a Prandtl-Glauert Condensation Cloud photographed in Southwest Asia by USAF Staff Sgt. Shelley R. Gill on 16 January 2004. Via http://chamorrobible.org/gpw/gpw-20041216.htm 4. B-2 Spirit, BUFF, and BONE photographed by USAF...

1. B-2 Spirit stealth heavy bomber (left), B-52 Stratofortress heavy bomber (center), B-1B Lancer supersonic heavy bomber (right) fly in formation on 10 May 2008 for the 75th Anniversary of Barksdale AFB celebration. Large or medium photo via http://chamorrobible.org/gpw/gpw-20051129.htm (photo 12). 2. And here's the B-52 Stratofortress (left) and the B-2 Spirit (right) flying in formation on 10 May 2008. Large or medium or huge photo via http://chamorrobible.org/gpw/gpw-20051129.htm (photo 11). The Photographer United States Air Force Staff Sgt. Samuel E. Rogers, 1st Fighter Wing Public Affairs, Langley Air Force Base

/10/2008 - FORWARD OPERATING BASE KALSU, Iraq (AFPN) -- More than 40 targets were hit after precision air strikes destroyed reported al-Qaida safe havens Jan. 10 in Arab Jabour, Iraq. The precision air strikes supported Operation Phantom Phoenix, the overarching operation that includes Operation Marne Thunderbolt. Thirty-eight bombs were dropped within the first 10 minutes, with a total tonnage of 40,000 pounds. A joint operation between the Air Force and Soldiers of the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division required extensive planning to prevent collateral damage and to deny the use of the area for attacks into Baghdad and...

BALAD AIR BASE, Iraq Away from the headlines and debate over the "surge" in U.S. ground troops, the Air Force has quietly built up its hardware inside Iraq, sharply stepped up bombing and laid a foundation for a sustained air campaign in support of American and Iraqi forces. Squadrons of attack planes have been added to the in-country fleet. The air reconnaissance arm has almost doubled since last year. The powerful B1-B bomber has been recalled to action over Iraq. The escalation worries some about an increase in "collateral damage," casualties among Iraqi civilians. Air Force generals worry about wear...

U.S. Air Force B-1B Lancer bomber exhibiting power, authority and "art" in United Kingdom's friendly skies on 16 July 2005.

EDWARDS AFB - The 419th Flight Test Squadron recently completed its initial developmental testing of a Sniper pod installed on a B-1B Lancer. The pod, manufactured by Lockheed Martin Corp., is an advanced targeting pod with multi-sensor capability and allows the operator to positively identify targets. Currently, the B-1 cannot positively identify targets without additional aids such as other aircraft or personnel on the ground, said Maj. Jacque Joffrion, 419th Squadron B-1 flight commander and experimental test pilot. The pod increases the aircraft's self-targeting capability, he said. "The positive target identification capability of the targeting pod is what enhances reconnaissance...

5/19/2006 - SOUTHWEST ASIA (AFPN) -- A B-1B Lancer struck a Taliban-associated compound May 17 near Kandahar, Afghanistan, in support of coalition ground forces conducting operations to detain individuals suspected of terrorist activities. The bomber responded to an immediate air support request with a GBU-38 Joint Direct Attack Munition, destroying the compound from which the Taliban members were attacking. Coalition ground forces reported approximately 15 to 20 Taliban were killed from the air strike. These individuals were active members of the Taliban network and conducted attacks against coalition and Afghan forces. Additionally, they conducted attacks against Afghan government officials and...

The U.S. Air Force is betting lots of money on its B-1B bomber, an aircraft that was the victim of many cancellation attempts, and the butt of many jokes because of that. But in the end, or at least as of today, the B-1B turned out to be a good investment. The B-1B carries more bombs than any other American heavy bomber. It can also move fast (about 1,500 kilometers an hour) if it needs to, and is stealthy. The B-1B played a major role in the 2001 campaign in Afghanistan, where eight of them dropped 40 percent of the...

ZHUKOVSKY, Russia, Aug. 18, 2005 – As far as security forces troops are concerned, protecting aircraft in one location is like protecting aircraft in another. The scenery may change, but the procedures don't - unless, of course, the aircraft are in the former Soviet Union. For the 17 members of the 48th Security Forces Squadron from Royal Air Force Lakenheath, England, protocol in protecting U.S. aircraft at the Moscow International Air Show and Space Salon at Ramenskoye Airfield here is a bit different from what they're used to following. The security forces members here are not armed, as part of...

U.S. Air Force maintainers chocked and secured six aircraft at Ramenskoye Airfield here Aug. 14, as they prepared to participate in the Moscow International Aviation and Space Salon. About 100 U.S. serviceembers are playing an active part in the Moscow air show Aug. 16 to 21, where visitors can get a close-up look at U.S. Air Force aircraft. The air show is one of the largest in the world, fourth only to air shows in Paris; Farnborough, England; and Dubai. "(This air show) is one of the premier events of its type in the world, and we're proud to be...

USAF B-1B Lancer's Prandtl-Glauert condensation cloud is an additional cloud in Southeast Asia's blue sky. Photographer: Staff Sgt. Shelley R. Gill, Still Photography Journeyman, 125th Fighter Wing, Florida Air National Guard Sources: http://ChamorroBible.org/gpw/gpw-20041217.htm , http://ChamorroBible.org/gpw/gpw-20041216.htm , http://FluidMech.net/tutorials/sonic/prandtl-glauert-clouds.htm NASA's Hubble Space Telescope zooms in on spiral galaxy NGC 3370 and thousands of distant galaxies. Photographer: Dr. Adam Riess, Astronomer, Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, Maryland, USA. Sources: http://HubbleSite.org/newscenter/newsdesk/archive/releases/2003/24/image/a , http://ChamorroBible.org/gpw/gpw-20041212.htm The sharp eye of NASA's Hubble Space Telescope is on the Cat's Eye Nebula (NGC 6543). Photography: NASA, ESA, HEIC, and The Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA) Sources: http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/newsdesk/archive/releases/2004/27/image/a , http://ChamorroBible.org/gpw/gpw-20041218.htm...

The base long associated with aviation firsts and record-setting will host yet another attempt at history-making next weekend. The B-1B Lancer bomber will attempt to set at least 48 world speed records Saturday and Sunday during the annual Edwards Air Force Base Open House and Air Show. "We're not really doing anything but what operational crews do every day with the airplane," said Maj. Wim Libby, B-1B test pilot with the 419th Flight Test Squadron. Unlike some other records set at Edwards using modified test aircraft, the B-1B flown this time will be the same as any other on the...

Encouraged by the B-1B bomber's strong showing in Afghanistan and Iraq, the Boeing program's backers plan to push for returning 12 retired bombers to operational status and to seek funds for new upgrades for the fleet. "I'll be optimistic and say that [the B-1B's war record] is going to basically improve the B-1's long-term upgrade plan," Rich Parke, Boeing's director of advanced programs business development, said May 6.An urgent question is whether to readjust the size of the B-1B fleet, Parke said. In 2001, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld ordered the U.S. Air Force to retire 33 B-1Bs and divert some...

Kim Burger JDW Staff Reporter, Nick Cook JDW Aerospace Consultant, Andrew Koch JDW Washington Bureau Chief, Michael Sirak JDW Staff Reporter With the regime of Saddam Hussein soundly defeated by overwhelming military force, coalition leaders are analysing what initial lessons can be drawn from Operation 'Iraqi Freedom'. A high-level Pentagon team is already sifting through the data. The team-members will be aware that their conclusions will be leapt upon by proponents of two quite disparate camps: those who will use the war to bolster the process of the military's transformation from a Cold War-era fighting force to one that is...

The B-1B Lancer bomber that dropped what may be the decisive ordnance in the war against Saddam Hussein traces its lineage through the Antelope Valley, emerging from a factory complex at the periphery of U.S. Air Force Plant 42. A B-1B received a mission tasking Monday and within a dozen minutes or so dropped four massive "bunker buster" bombs on a building in a Baghdad suburb. The target: Pentagon officials referred to it as "a regime leadership meeting" believed to involve the Iraqi dictator and his two dreaded sons, Odai and Qusai Hussein. President George W. Bush, meeting in northern...

<p>Multiple U.S. intelligence sources saw Saddam Hussein enter a building in Baghdad on Monday and not emerge before four 1-ton Air Force bombs destroyed it, government officials said yesterday.</p> <p>One official said some analysts believe the multiple eyewitness accounts suggest the Iraqi dictator is dead. The penetrating bombs reduced the building near the popular al Saa restaurant to rubble.</p>

Lancer crews describe B-1 missions over Iraqby Master Sgt. Scott ElliottAir Force Print News03/25/03 - WASHINGTON -- B-1B Lancers, combining the latest in technology with old-fashioned elbow grease, are taking the air war of Operation Iraqi Freedom to regime and military targets in every inch of that country. RELATED LINKS Operation Iraqi Freedom B-1B Lancer video B-1B Lancer Printable Version Four members of the 405th Air Expeditionary Wing described their mission to Pentagon reporters in a March 25 teleconference. The 405th is currently deployed to an undisclosed location in Southwest Asia. "The B-1 is so flexible because of its (long...