The B-1 acquired from a alternation of studies in the 1960s into a all-embracing accepted multi-role adviser that operates with definiteness and persistence. With the acclamation of President Nixon in 1970, the antecedent development arrangement was awarded to North American Rockwell with the aboriginal of four B-1As demography flight in December of 1974. Antecedent affairs alleged for accumulation of 240 of the aircraft. During the after four years, the B-1A flight analysis aircraft approved abiding low ambit flight at 200 ft, aerial acceleration flight with hurries up to Mach 2.2, forth with the acknowledged barrage of the B-1’s primary weapon, the nuclear AGM-69A SRAM.
With the acclamation of President Carter in 1977, the B-1A affairs was concluded due to amount advance and in acquiescence to assorted added missile systems to accomplish the nuclear mission. However, flight testing of the four B-1A aircraft connected at Edwards Air Force Base, CA, acceptance the Westinghouse constructed breach alarm and the abhorrent and arresting avionics systems.
On October 2, 1981, President Reagan appear that the Air Force would access 100 B-1Bs as allotment of their Strategic Modernization Program. The development arrangement was awarded to Rockwell International on January 20, 1982. Two of the B-1A's were adapted to B-1B prototypes and the aboriginal accumulation B-1B flew on October 18,1984. The absolute accretion amount for the B-1B was set at $20.5 billion for 100 aircraft,spares and abutment equipment.
The B-1B differed from the B-1A in several ways. The claim for Mach 2.2 flight was bargain to Mach 1.25, simplifying the basin and over-wing allowance structure. The best gross abandonment weight was added from 395,000 to 477,000 pounds and the alarm cantankerous area was bargain an adjustment of magnitude.
The aboriginal B-1B formed off of the accumulation band in Palmdale, CA, on September 4, 1984 and was delivered to the Strategic Air allegation in June, 1985. B-1B accumulation ramped up to four aircraft per ages until the 100th and final B-1B formed out of Palmdale on January 20, 1988 — on account and advanced of schedule.
Basing
Initially the B-1Bs were assigned to four Strategic Air Command Bases: Dyess AFB, TX; Ellsworth AFB, SD; Grand Forks AFB, ND; and McConnell AFB, KS. The B-1B's were removed from Grand Forks and McConnell in 1994 and a fleet of B-1B's was stationed at Mountain Home AFB, ID, as allotment of the Air Intervention Wing. B-1B's were again assigned to the Kansas and Georgia Air National Guard with a fleet stationed at McConnell AFB, KS, and Robins AFB, GA.
In 2001, the U.S. Air Force absitively to retire some of the B-1B's and abolish the aircraft from Mountain Home and the Georgia and Kansas Air National Guard bases. This has now been able and the actual 67 aircraft are circumscribed at Dyess AFB, TX, and Ellsworth AFB, SD.
Conventional Mission Upgrade Program
As the algid war began to thaw, the B-1B was transitioned out of its nuclear mission. The B-1B stood its aftermost nuclear active in 1997. In June 1994 the B-1B began a Operational Readiness Assessment that apparent the alpha of the Accepted Munitions Upgrade Program.
This affairs was a phased access to catechumen the nuclear adviser to a accepted platform. It was burst into four audible blocks that included accouterments andcomputer application modifications to access incrementally the B-1B’s accepted capability. Block C was the aboriginal increment. In 1995, Boeing completed accouterments andcomputer application enhancements to board a ambit of accepted force weapons such as array bomb units. It certified high- ambit absolution of 84 Mk82 bombs and 30 Accepted Bomb Units from a fresh 10-carry bomb rack.
Block D congenital GPS navigation, Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAM) antijam radios and the ALE-50 towed allurement countermeasure. This adequacy became operational in 1999.
Block E congenital fresh mission computers, Wind Compensated Munitions Dispensers (WCMD), the Joint Stand-off Weapon (JSOW), and the Joint Air to Surface Stand-off Missile (JASSM). Block E additionally gives the B-1B the different adaptability to apply three types of weapons simultaneously. This adequacy became operational in 2005. Block F was appointed to add a fresh alarm admonishing receiver and cyberbanking countermeasures arrangement apartment with a cilia optic towed allurement acceptance the B-1B to access column 2010 blackmail environments. Development issues with the Government furnished accouterments acquired this fresh arresting adequacy to be deferred indefinitely. Future capabilities accommodate the affiliation of fresh agenda radios, blush cockpit displays, situational acquaintance affectation and sensor improvements as able-bodied as utilizing the B-1Bs alien carrying capability. These upgrades are currently in development and will acquiesce the B-1B to be a baleful bulge in the DoDs agenda battlefield. Added enhancements are in the planning stages that will defends the B-1Bs action appliance for several added decades.
Combat Use
The B-1B was aboriginal acclimated in action in December of 1998 in operation Desert Fox area the aircraft penetrated Iraqi air defenses to abort Republican Guard barracks. In 1999 B-1s able with the Block D modification accurate Operation Allied Force in Kosovo. Six aircraft accounted for 2% of the action sorties yet they alone added than 20% of the absolute burden in the conflict. In operation Enduring Freedom, B-1B's accounted for 5% of the bang sorties into Afghanistan and alone added than 70% of the precision-guided JDAM weapons. In Operation Iraqi Freedom the B-1B's approved agnate achievement with 1% of the action sorties yet 22% of the guided weapons. The range, speed, burden and chain of the commonly able B-1B's accustomed the aircrews to accomplish assorted missions aural a distinct sortie. Consequently the aircraft was in such aerial appeal it was dubbed the Best Valuable Plane “MVP” of the conflict.
Records
The B-1A accustomed the celebrated Collier bays in 1976. The B-1B holds 100 apple annal for speed, burden and distance. The National Aeronautic Association accustomed the B-1B for commutual one of the ten best memorable almanac flights for 1994. It set 50 fresh annal at the Edwards Air Force Base Air Show in 2003.
