The Rockwell-Boeing B-1B Lancer is basically a four-engine supersonic variable-sweep wing, jet-powered heavy strategic bomber used by the United States Air Force (USAF). It’s primarily a low-level penetrator with long range and Mach 1.25 speed capability at high altitude. The B-1B is expected to continue to serve into the 2030s, with the Next-Generation Bomber to start supplementing the B-1B in the 2020s. Continue reading for three videos and more information.
The B-1B has supported U.S. and NATO military forces in Afghanistan and Iraq. The Lancer is the supersonic component of the USAF’s long-range bomber force, along with the subsonic B-52 and B-2. The bomber is commonly called the “Bone” (originally from “B-One”). With the retirement of the General Dynamics/Grumman EF-111A Raven in 1998 and the Grumman F-14 Tomcat in 2006, the B-1B is the U.S. military’s only active variable-sweep wing aircraft.
