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The Air Force on Thursday grounded its fleet of B-1B Lancers to inspect the conventional bombers’ ejection systems after discovering a parachute rigging problem during a routine inspection, the service announced in a statement. Air Force technicians will inspect all 62 of the service’s B-1B aircraft during the stand down, said Air Force Capt. Earon Brown, a spokesman for Air Force Global Strike Command. The jets will be returned to flying status on a rolling basis as they are inspected and any issues are resolved, he said. The stand down marks the second such grounding of the Air Force B-1B...

The U.S. Air Force’s entire B-1 bomber fleet was ordered to stand down Thursday because of an issue with ejection seat components, the Air Force Global Strike Command said. The announcement came more than a month after a B-1B Lancer made an emergency landing at Midland International Air & Space Port in Texas. Officials investigating the incident determined that there was an issue with ejection seat components and ordered the stand down. “The [Safety Investigation Board’s] purpose is to prevent future mishaps or losses and is comprised of experts who investigate the incident and recommend corrective actions. The safety of...

The Backbone Of America's Bomber Force Is Getting A Massive Upgrade (B-1B Lancer) David Cenciotti, The AviationistFebruary 2, 2013, 4:30 AM The U.S. Air Force is about to further upgrade its fleet of B-1B Lancer bombers. With what the service announces as “the largest B-1 modification in program history” the supersonic swing-wing bomber will get several improvements as part of the Integrated Battle Station and Sustainment-Block 16 (SB-16) upgrade aimed to provide B-1 aircrews with a higher level of situational awareness and a faster, secure digital communication link. SB-16, includes a Vertical Situation Display Upgrade in the cockpit that will...

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  

The Boeing Company today announced the start of flight tests for a B-1 Lancer bomber upgraded with new digital avionics for the aft cockpit, including a line-of-sight Link 16 data link. The B-1 Fully Integrated Data Link (FIDL) made its first flight test on June 4 at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. The four-hour flight was conducted by the U.S. Air Force around the local Edwards test ranges. The crew successfully tested the Link 16 data link by sending and receiving text messages and receiving virtual mission assignment data such as target coordinates for a weapon. Link 16 adds line-of-sight...

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....

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...

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

Under the control of talented, highly skilled, superbly trained United States Air Force pilots, a B-1B Lancer bomber -- "The Bone" -- demonstrates power, authority, and vapor beauty during an open house flyby in Southwest Asia, 16 January 2004. Image ID: 040116-F-0971G-130 Via: http://chamorrobible.org/gpw/gpw-20041217.htm Big Photo Link: http://chamorrobible.org/images/photos/gpw-20041217-UnitedStatesAirForce-040116-F-0971G-130.jpg PhotographerStaff Sgt. Shelley R. Gill, Still Photography Journeyman, 125th Fighter Wing, Florida Air National Guard, U.S.A.

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...

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...

04/08/03 - WASHINGTON -- An Air Force B-1 Lancer crew rode an "adrenaline rush" as they prepared to strike a recently discovered target of opportunity believed to be the site of a high-level Iraqi leadership meeting April 7. "There wasn't a lot of time for reflection," Lt. Col. Fred Swan told Pentagon reporters via telephone from his deployed location. Swan is a B-1 Lancer weapons systems officer assigned to the 405th Air Expeditionary Wing. According to Swan, the B-1 was engaged in midair refueling when a call came from an airborne control aircraft telling them "this is the big one"...

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...

08/12/02 - DYESS AIR FORCE BASE, Texas (AFPN) -- A year after the B-1 Lancer consolidation plan was first announced, people here are seeing the first steps take shape. The plan, announced last year, calls for the B-1 fleet to be consolidated here and at Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D. The other three bases where B-1s were assigned have already ceased bomber operations. McConnell AFB, Kan., and Robins AFB, Ga., have begun transferring aircraft to Ellsworth and Dyess. All seven of the B-1s that were originally at Mountain Home AFB, Idaho, have already moved to Ellsworth. The plan also calls...

05/09/02 - WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio (AFPN) -- A B-1B Lancer crew successfully targeted three different weapon types against three separate targets in a single, 20-second bombing run on May 2 at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. Part of a computer upgrade test program, the Global Power Bomber Combined Test Force crew released one MK-84, 2,000-pound bomb, three MK-82, 500-pound bombs, and four CBU-89, 1,000-pound cluster munitions. Each struck targets about 10,000 feet apart. “Today marks a major test accomplishment,” said Lt. Col. Arnie Bunch, Global Power Bomber CTF director. “The team demonstrated conventional weapons flexibility without any glitches....