Power, speed, lethality: the B-1 Lancer is an aerodynamic marvel that brings patience and accuracy to the war on terrorism

Airman, August, 2002 by Una Maj. Cuffy

The B-1 is a vital part of America's long-range bomber force, providing massive and rapid delivery of precision and nonprecision weapons against any potential enemy. Senior Airman Philip Knight (left) directs Airman David Ryals as they unload a 2,000-pound joint direct attack munition from a weapons trailer for upload into a waiting B-1. Both airmen are weapons loaders with the 77th Bomb Squadron at Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D.

The B-1 Lancer isn't just another aircraft. Because for all its sleek good looks, it's a heavy bomber that can go a long way to put bombs on target.

The swept-wing bomber delivers -- capable of flying from stateside bases to targets half a world away or launching from forward operating locations for extended engagements. It has proven its worth over Afghanistan where it has been one of the Air Force workhorses.

Its accurate bomb runs are part of the reason the Taliban and al Qaeda no longer rule there.

Air Force records show Lancers dropped nearly 40 percent of all bombs in the war on terrorism. And they did that while only flying 5 percent of the missions over Afghanistan.

"You can't compare the firepower the B-i brings to the fight," Capt. Mike Miller said. The B-1 weapon systems officer with the 28th Bomb Wing, Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D., said speed and power are a must in today's battle space.

Plus, the bomber is a patient striker -- a must for time-sensitive targeting. Just what allied forces need in Afghanistan, he said.

"The B-1 can take off with no specific target and loiter over an area until the crew receives target information," he said. "If someone needs a weapon on a target real fast, they just give us the coordinates, and we'll drop weapons there."

In the mountain hideouts of Afghanistan, Taliban and al Qaeda fighters learned about the Lancer's pinpoint accuracy first-hand. After flying from a deployed location, one of the bombers could drop 24 global positioning system-guided joint direct attack munitions, Flights like these, dropping 2,000-pound dumb-turned-smart bombs, took most of the fight out of the enemy [See "Not So Dumb Bomb," June 2001].

And though critics still sometimes malign the dark-gray Lancer, the crews who fly and maintain the bomber -- and swear by it -- say they're more than getting the job done. Their bomber has proven its worth in the war on terrorism.

"We can take our mission anywhere in the world -- and we've proven that," Miller said.

In 1999, for example, Ellsworth crews deployed to Royal Air Force Fairford, England, and flew some 100 bombing missions against Serbian targets.

Besides Ellsworth's 28th Bomb Wing, there are Lancers on duty with the 7th Bomb Wing at Dyess Air Force Base, Texas. The consolidation of the B-1 fleet removed aircraft from Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho, and two Air National Guard units in Kansas and Georgia.

Key mission

The bottom-line mission has been the same since the bomber joined the inventory at Dyess in the mid-1980s. Simply, Lancer crews say, the bomber provides rapid, decisive, massive and sustainable combat air power anytime, anyplace -- at a moment's notice.

And with the advent of the joint direct attack munition, the bomber is even more effective, said Maj. Ted Presley, a B-1 aircraft commander at Ellsworth's 37th Bomb Squadron.

"Rather than use 10 fighters that can drop only a limited number of bombs, one B-1 can loiter over a target for hours and drop 48,000 pounds of bombs -- wherever they need to be dropped," he said.

Presley said Lancers can drop bombs within a few feet of a target. To get that kind of accuracy takes more than a well-trained crew. It takes a whole team of specially trained people. For operations in Afghanistan, the bomber crew works closely with ground controllers and special operations forces.

"All we need is someone on the ground to radio us the coordinates, and we'll put the bombs there," he said.

Presley said the Lancer does the rest. Despite the millions of dollars worth of equipment on board, the aircraft doesn't behave like a big bomber.

"The plane is an aerodynamic marvel," Presley said. "It maneuvers better than any other aircraft its size."

Miller likes the ride, too. "The part I enjoy most is when we fly low-attitude missions."

Both men agree the Lancer's grandfather -- the venerable B-52 Stratofortress -- and its next-generation cousin, the B-2 Spirit, are totally effective. But they're nowhere as pretty, Miller said with a smile.

"If you're looking for power, speed, accuracy -- and sex appeal -- the Lancer is the plane you call on," Miller said.

Keeping the bomber fit and trim is the job of countless maintainers. Nowhere is that put to the test more than at Ellsworth, where the winter chill is enough to freeze a person's thoughts. And on the flight line, the wind makes the cold arctic-like.

"You learn to layer your clothes," said Senior Airman Philip Knight, a weapons load team member with the 77th Bomb Squadron.

"It takes a mind-over-matter mentality to load those bombers," he said. And when it gets too much to bear, Knight drops on the line and does push-ups to keep warm.