USAF, NATO. B-1B Lancer bombers in Spain. Engine maintenance and combat missions -YouTube

B-1B Lancer strategic bombers were deployed by Air Force Global Strike Command out of Dyess Air Force Base,Texas.on a Bomber Task Force mission.The missions enable air crews to maintain a high state of readiness,proficiency and validate the USAF's always ready global strike capability.The strategic missions help develop the ability to operate in unfamiliar or austere locations and readily integrate with NATO Allies and Partners.The BTF mission is conducted in multiple combatant command Areas of Responsibility (AORs) and demonstrate the DOD'S ability to command and control its bomber forces for any assigned mission,anywhere in the world at any time,in support of the U.S. National Defense Strategy.At the same time,the BTF mission includes achieving deterrence and defence for the NATO Alliance.*Furthermore,a B-1B Lancer has been pulled from the boneyard,an arrid repository of retired aircraft,at Davis-Monthan Air Fore Base in Tucson,Arizona.It is being refurbished to help with the surge in demand for Bomber Task Force missions.

CENTCOM:B-1B Lancers Participated in Retaliatory Raids - plus what radio experts revealed about their mission

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed that Rockwell B-1B Lancer strategic bombers participated in retaliatory raids against Iranian Republican Guards Corps (IRGC) Quds Force and afiiliated miltia groups in Iraq and Syria.Both Iraq and Syria denounced the raids which they said amounted to aggression.Beginning on 2 February 2024,radio experts ascertained that B-1Bs were on the move.The bombers are out of Dyess Air Force Base,Texas.The Lancer bombers communicate via a UHF satellite,and one is able to piece the puzzle together based on snippets of information from these communications only an expert can put together.* The experts ascertained that the 2-3 B-1Bs were refueled over Nova Scotia,Canada by KC-135 Stratotankers.They then proceeded across the Atlantic Ocean until they reached Spain,where the were again refueled by KC-135s out of the UK.Air Force Global Strike Command deploys B-1Bs as needed.For this mission,the bombers were to fire precision cruisse missiles at seven sites and across 85 targets in Iraq and Syria.They typically carry up to 24 Northrop Grumman AGM-158B JASSEM-ER subsonic cruise missiles.Their targets included command centres;drone and rocket arsenals;and thier production facilities.Thermal images of the target guide these missiles with an acccuracy of less than 9.8 ft. from the targets.The warheads can strike on impact,be set for delayed impact or set to splinter into fragments.Dozens of militants were reportedly killed in the raids.*The Department of Defense will continue to strike militants at a time and place of their choosing.* The original builder of the B-1B,Rockwell,became part of Rockwell Collins,which again morphed into Collins Aerospace,now a subsidiary of Raytheon Corporation.*Northrop Grumman (NOC),Raytheon Corporation (RTX)

U.S. Air Force, NATO. B-1B Lancer bombers fly combat missions from the UK.Posted 1 November 2023.

RAF base or bases were not disclosed.Combat mission:a mission to capture or defend something.

USAF, NATO. Powerful B-1B Lancer strategic bombers have arrived in the UK RAF Fairford,England

B-1B strategic bombers arrived at RAF Fairford,England.They are out of Dyess Air Force Base,Texas and are on a Bomber Task Force mission,set to interoperate with NATO Allies and partners throughout the European theatre,enhancing Deterrence and Defence.

USAF, NATO. B-1B Lancer bombers and AGM-158 JASSM cruise missiles.RAF Fairford,England Bomber Task Force Mission

USAF, NATO. B-1B Lancer Supersonic Strategic Bombers in the United Kingdom. - RAF Fairford - Bomber Task Force Mission

Air With Ground:US and Norwegian Forces Exercise in the Arctic - plus a Vast Manoeuvre Coming Up

On 1 November 2021,Royal Norwegian Air Force F-35 Lightning II fighters and two US Air Force B-1B Lancer strategic bombers exercised in the Arctic Region.The aircraft executed a joint targeting drill with Norwegian Joint Terminal Attack Controllers (JTACs) on the ground.This key Allied capability requires constant practise to optimise communications and procedures,Allied Air Command said.The mission also tested integration and interoperability between the advanced fighter platform F-35S and the supersonic B-1Bs.Noted Commander Allied Air Command,General Jeff Harrigian,US Air Force: Bomber Task Force missions optimise integration between NATO Allies while enhancing our response to threats throughout the Arctic.Combining fifth-generation assets with long-range strike capabilities strengthens our collective deterrence.* The F-35 offers unparalleled command and control for battlespace awareness.Coupled with the strategic range of the B-1B and the ability to employ mixed forces,the F-35s provide a spectrum of options for Allied commanders,Allied Air Command observed.* In 2022,Norwegian forces will lead a massive Arctic drill,Cold Response 2022.The Royal Norwegian Navy and Air Force will play the leading roles in CR 22,which will feature around 40,000 Allied troops.Indeed,it is to be the largest exercise inside the Arctic Circle since the 1980s,during the Cold War.The scenario of CR 22 is the reinforcement of Northern Norway in the Ofoten area,which is near Norway's Northern Brigade and several training areas used by NATO forces.Ofoten is considered to be strategically critical for the countering of a global crisis instigated by Russia.That is because it is only around 600 km/372.882 mi from Russia's nuclear submarines of its Northern Fleet,which is based on the Kola Peninsula. Russia will be invited to observe the drills,in accordance with international norms.On a number of occasions,however,Russia has conducted missile firings in the region with little advance warning,just suddenly posting a NOTAM notice of an air hazard zone.

MAJESTIC B1 BOMBER MAKES INCREDIBLE STEEP BANKING CLIMB AT FAIRFORD 4K

B-1B Lancers light the burners - 11 October 2021

B-1Bs Arrive in Europe,Testing Agile Combat Deployment

On 6 October 2021,the first two of four US Air Force B-1B Lancer strategic bombers,together with their support equipment and some 200 personnelfrom the 9th Expeditionary Bomb Wing out of Dyess AFB,Texas arrived at RAF Fairford,England for a Bomber Task Force mission.The bombers were escorted by Royal Air Force fighter jets as they entered the theatre.The rotational mission will allow the bomber crews to deploy to unfamiliar airfields for integration with coalition Allies and Partners to enhance readiness.According to U.S. Air Forces Europe-Air Forces Africa Commander,General Jeff Harrigian: BTF missions amplify our coalition reach and project our collective airpower across theaters.By training and integrating with our Allies and Partners,we are expanding our ability to adapt to challenges and counter adversaries in the global security environment.* The bomber crews will fly the warplanes to strategic areas including the Arctic,Baltic Sea and Black Sea Regions,developing their skills to integrate and use the weapon systems to their maximum capacity.This is in the context of Russia's having made the Arctic a more contested region and strengthened its Anti-Access/Area-Denial capabilities in the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad;the Baltics;occupied Crimea;and on the Black Sea,posing a heightened threat to NATO's Eastern Flank. The Lancers are being deployed according to the Air Force's agile combat deployment concept.They will use ranges and conduct simulations from the high Arctic to the Horn of Africa,reducing reliance on traditional bases and shifting to dispersed forward operating locations,in accordance with the concept. Our NATO Allies and Partners seek engagement with the B-1Bs to ensure they can counter any adversarial threat within the region.Strategic bomber missions within USAFE-AFAFRICA theatres demonstrate the ability to rapidly deploy with NATO Allies and coalition Partners,providing necessary training to the joint force,U.S. European Command noted.

Two B-1 Lancers landing at Fairford #BomberTaskForce - callsigns Remus 01 and Remus 02

Black Sea Patrol: Large Air Drills Show NATO'S Mettle

On 29 May 2020,a Bomber Task Force mission was executed over Europe and the Black Sea Region.It was historic in that, for the first time ever,a BTF mission integrated B-1B Lancer strategic bombers with Ukrainian Su-27 Flankers,MiG-29 Fulcrums and Turkish KC-135 refueling tankers.*

The long-range, long duration mission involved interoperability training in the Black Sea Region with theatre Allies and Partners, enhancing resilience and building enduring relationships to confront the broad range of global challenges the Alliance faces today.The mission provided a clear deterrence message to any adversary, according to US Air Forces Europe and Air Forces Africa commander GEN Jeff Harrington:
The integration of our strategic bomber presence across Europe proves that the US, alongside our Ally or Partner,stands ready to deter, and if needed, can employ these capabilities together.*
Also integrating with the Lancers were Polish F-16s and MiG-29s, and Romanian F-16s and MiG-21s, providing bomber escort and combat patrol overwatch in the Black Sea Region,USAFE said.Refueling for the long haul flights by the B-1Bs, which flew all the way from Ellsworth AFB, South Dakota,as well as the escort and patrol aircraft, was provided by KC-135s from RAF Mildenhall and Incirlik Air Base, Turkey.Other NATO refueling aircraft also participated.*
Finally, the B-1Bs integrated with Hellenic Air Force F-16s for an air policing mission over Skopje, North Macedonia.North Macedonia is NATO's newest member.*
Summing up, Supreme Allied Commander Europe GEN Tod Wolters,USAF, noted that:
These strategic missions enhance the readiness and training necessary to respond to any potential crisis or challenge around the globe.*

Anti-Access/Area Denial Brings New Roles for the B-1B Lancer

Some new roles have been assigned to the B-1B Lancer supersonic bomber.The plane,capable of low altitude strike to evade enemy air defences,originated in the 1980s under the Reagan administration,when it was seen as part of the nuclear deterrent.Its nuclear capability was removed in the 1990s in accordance with an arms control agreement with Russia,replaced by racks for conventional weapons.
The B-1 was a mainstay for NATO forces during the Afghan War at its height and went on to serve brilliantly in Operation Inherent Resolve,destroying hundreds of Islamic State targets in Iraq and Syria.*
In June 2018,Lancers from the 28th Bomb Wing at Ellsworth Air Force Base,South Dakota,conducted the first combat use of the Extended Range Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile (ERJASSM) against Assad regime chemical weapons facilities in Syria.In July of that year,Ellsworth became the first AFB to train with the new Lockheed Martin AGM-158C Long-Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM).The B-1B has achieved Early Operational Capability (EOC) with the missile.Former Ellsworth Commander COL John Edwards told the Rapid City Journal:
We've seen that shift with a little bit more emphasis in what we call the 'standoff strike role',where we fire those really long-distance missiles against an enemy,whether it's a ship,whether it's a mass destruction facility,or whether it's a headquarters building.And we do that because those weapons reduce the risk to our crew.Our air crews don't have to fly as close to a lot of those targets,which are heavily defended at times.*
Ellsworth will be the first AFB to host the new B-21 Raider strategic bomber in the mid-2020s.It was selected on 29 March 2019 as the preferred location for the first operational B-21 and the formal training unit.Whiteman Air Force Base,Missouri and Dyess Air Force Base,Texas will receive B-21s as they become available.With the arrival of B-21s,the B-1B and B-2 Spirit bombers will be phased out incrementally.The B-52s,however,will continue to serve until 2050.
Air Force Chief of Staff GEN Michael Goldfein explained:
The B-21 is a highly survivable aircraft capable of penetrating enemy air space with a mix of weapons.It is a central point of a penetrating joint team.*
BAE Systems produces the multimodal sensor of the LRASM.According to Bruce Koningsberg,Radio Frequency Sensors product area director at BAE:
Our sensor systems provide US warfighters with a strike capability that lets them engage protected,high-value maritime targets from safe distances.The missile provides a critical advantage to US warfighters.*
The BAE long-range targeting technology enables detection and engagement of highly protected ships in all weather conditions and 24/7,without external intelligence and navigation data.Early Operational Capability for the LRASM on the US Navy FA/18E-F Super Hornet is expected in 2019.The US Marine Corps is also interested in a land-based version of a LRASM.*
The B-1B is getting a new targeting system to increase its capability in Non-Traditional Intelligence,Surveillance and Reconnaissance (NTISR) as well as precision strike.Tests of a new targeting pod are underway.*
Lockheed Martin (LMT),BAE SYS PLC/S ADR  OTC MKTS:BAESY

B-1 Bombers Arrive Back in CENTCOM AOR - plus more on MSGT Johnathan Dunbar

The B-1B Lancer bomber has arrived back at Al Udeid Air Base,Qatar,to resume strategic bombing missions after two years during which the B-52H Stratofortress had served in that role.The number of B-1s involved was not disclosed.
Airmen had been training intensely for several months for the CENTCOM precision strike missions at Ellsworth Air Force Base,South Dakota.They are rejoining Operation Inherent Resolve in Iraq and Syria,and Operation Freedom's Sentinel in Afghanistan.*
The US Soldier recently killed in action in Northern Syria,Master Sergeant Johnathan J. Dunbar of Austin,Texas,had served three tours in Iraq and three in Afghanistan.He was awarded three Bronze Star Medals,which are given for heroic or exceptionally meritorious service in a battle zone.The Bronze Star ranks just above the Purple Heart.*
He was described as being a member of Headquarters,US Army Special Operations Command in Fort Bragg,North Carolina-a designation which often implies being a member of the elite Delta Force.*
MSGT Dunbar had earned a Ranger Tab,which does not necessarily mean he actually served in the 75th Ranger Regiment.It does mean he graduated from Ranger School,signifying a high degree of expertise in small unit combat tactics.
He also had completed the Special Forces Sniper Course,and was awarded six Army Achievement Medals,as well as four Army Commendation Medals.
Certain US Airmen,Marines and Canadian Forces members have also earned the Ranger Tab.

Rarest of the Breed:Massive Maritime Display by US,South Korea and Japan

The US Navy's 7th Fleet has been holding an extremely rare three-carrier strike group exercise with allies Japan and South Korea off the East Coast of South Korea in the Sea of Japan.It has been 10 years since three US carriers exercised simultaneously in the Western Pacific.Taking part in the drills from the US were the USS Nimitz (CVN-68);USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71);and the USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76),plus their respective battle groups of guided missile cruisers,guided missile destroyers and nuclear attack submarines.The Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force contributed a helicopter carrier and two destroyers;while South Korea sent seven warships to the exercise running from 10-14 November 2017.*
According to US 7th Fleet Commander Admiral Scott Swift:
It is a rare opportunity to train with two aircraft carriers together;and even rarer to to be able to train with three.Multiple carrier strike force operations are very complex,and this exercise in the Western Pacific is a strong testament to the US Pacific Fleet's unique ability and ironclad commitment to the continued security and stability of the region.*
The exercise has included air defence drills;sea surveillance;replenishments at sea;defensive air combat training;close-in coordinated manoeuvres;and other training,the 7th Fleet said.The drills demonstrate the Navy's unique capability to operate multiple carrier strike groups as a coordinated strike effort.Embarked on the carriers were 12 strike fighter squadrons of F/A-18E and F/A-18F Super Hornets and two squadrons of F/A-18C Hornets,all of which are capable of carrying the B61 nuclear weapon.*
In response,North Korea's ambassador to the UN,Ja Song Nam,wrote a letter excoriating the exercise to UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres.Mr.Ja noted the round-the-clock sorties by US B-52H strategic bombers that are reminiscent of the Cold War and the surprise strike posture with frequent flights of the B-1B and B-2 formations to the airspace of South Korea:
The large scale nuclear war exercises and blackmails,which the US staged for a whole year without break in collaboration with its followers to stifle our republic,make one conclude that the option we have taken was the right one and we should go along the way to the last.The US is now running amok for war exercises by introducing nuclear war equipment in and around the Korean peninsula.*
Perhaps the highlight of the drills was the low overflight of a pair of US Air Force B-1B Lancer strategic bombers over the armada of allied warships in the Sea of Japan,escorted by Hornet fighter jets.

US,Japanese Warplanes Send Message to Potential Adversaries - unprecedented mission

On 6 July 2017,US Air Force and Japanese Air Self-Defense Force units sharpened their combat skills in a bilateral mission over the East China Sea,the Pentagon revealed.Two B-1B Lancer strategic bombers from the 9th Expeditioinary Bomb Squadron out of Dyess Air Force Base,Texas flew from Andersen AFB,Guam for the mission with their Japanese allies.It was the first time that US Pacific Command B-1Bs have conducted combined training with Japanese fighters at night.Such bilateral drills enable the operational units to improve their combined capabilities and tactical skills,also building confidence and strong working relationships,according to the Department of Defense.
US PACOM chief of bomber operations Air Force Major Ryan Simpson said:
Flying and training at night with our allies in a safe,efficient manner is an important capability shared between the US and Japan.This is a clear demonstration of our ability to conduct seamless operations with all of our allies.*
From the East China sea,where Japan and China have a territorial dispute over the Senkaku Islands,the aircraft headed to the South China Sea,where Beijing has been intent on militarising several artificial islands it has built up from reefs,adding military-length airstrips,port and missile facilities,while claiming sovereignty of 90% of the Sea.The claim is rejected by the international community,which relies on the Sea for vital shipping lanes.
Additionally,Japan and the US are threatened by a belligerent North Korea's military buildup.*
US officials said this mission demonstrates how the US will continue to exercise the rights of freedom of navigation anywhere international law allows.These actions are consistent with long-standing and well-known US policies applied to military operations worldwide.
The officials went on to say that:
Joint US military forces in the Indo-Asia-Pacific Region are always ready to defend the American homeland.These flights with Japan demonstrate the solidarity between Japan and the US to defend against provocative and destabilising actions in the Pacific theatre.*
The JASDF fighters were reportedly Mitsubishi F-15J Eagles.*
Mitsubishi Corporation ADR US:OTC (MSBHY)

North Korea Threatens Japan with Latest Missile Test - US,South Korea respond with B-1Bs,fighter jets and aircraft carriers

On 29 May 2017,Memorial Day in the US,North Korea launched its third ballistic missile test in less than three weeks and its twelfth of the year.The missile was fired at 0539 hours locval time from near Wonsan,Kanguan Province,on North Korea's east coast.It traveled 248 miles to a point in Japan's exclusive economic zone,a place with heavy commercial ship and aircraft traffic that is within 200 miles of the Japanese coast.*
South Korea's Foreign Ministry said:
It is a severe threat to the peace and stability of not only the Korean Penninsula,but also the international community.Since our government took office,North Korea has been frequently and repeatedly conducting provocation in such a manner.*
The South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff added:
North Korea's continuous provocative actions will cause its own isolation and it will be facing strong punishment from our own military.*
Defence experts say the number and pace of the missile tests mean North Korea is accelerating reaching its goal of developing an Intercontinental Ballistic Missile capable of delivering a nuclear warhead to the mainland US.*
For his part,Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe stated that:
We can never tolerate North Korea's repeated provocations violating repeated warnings from the international community.We have lodged a firm protest against North Korea as we have agreed at the G7 Summit that North Korea is the priority of the international community.In order to deter North Korea,we will take concrete action together with the US.We will maintain high vigilance in coordination with South Korea and we will take all possible measures to secure the safety of the people of Japan.*
In the event,South Korea revealed that,at about 1030 hours,two US Air Force B-1B Lancer strategic bombers arrived over the East Sea some five hours after the missile test.The swept-wing bombers flew about 80 kilometers east of Gangueng,a city near the Military Demarcation Line that defines the border between North and South Korea.Warplanes from the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) and South Korean F-15K fighter jets joined in the responsive drill.North Korea described it as a nuclear bomb-dropping exercise,but:
Such military provocations of the US imperialists is a dangerous reckless racket for bringing the situation on the Korean Peninsula to the brink of war.*
Indeed,the KNCA official North Korean news agency disclosed that North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un had recently watched the test of a new type of anti-aircraft guided weapon system organised by the Academy of National Defense Science.This weapon system,whose operational capacity has been thoroughly verified,should be mass-produced to be deployed all over the country.It will completely destroy the enemy's wild dream to command the air,boasting of air supremacy and weapon almighty.*
Besides the Carl Vinson,the US has the carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) in the Western Pacific as well.What is more,it is reportedly sending the carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68 ) to join them.Three carriers in one region is almost unheard of for the US Navy.

Reagan Era B-1B Still Relevant Today

A US Air Force bomber first envisioned in the 1960s and produced in the 1980s,the Rockwell B-1B Lancer,saved from oblivion by President Ronald Reagan,remains an integral part of US Strategic Command,and will be for decades.Highly controversial for its cost and questions about its utility early in its life,it has proved much more valuable than many ever thought it would be. Indeed,the B-1B is the only supersonic bomber in the US inventory today,with the biggest payload.What is more,it is the cheapest to fly,even given the extensive maintenance and upgrades it requires. Capable of flying at Mach 1.25 at altitude,or 950 mph/1130 kmh,it was originally solely a nuclear bomber.By the 1990s,it had been given a conventional role as well.In 1995,it was removed from the nuclear forces. Though not technically a stealth aircraft,it is about fifty times less detectable than the ancient B-52 and features variable-sweep wings.Forward sweep is for takeoff,landing and high altitude maximum cruise.Aft sweep is for high subsonic and supersonic flight. The Lancer is still getting upgrades to its cockpit displays,communications and instrumentation.It holds 61 world records for such things as speed,payload,distance and climb rate.It can strike anywhere in the world and safely return to a broad variety of bases without refueling.Extensive electronic countermeasures,reflective coating and stealthy intake design make it highly survivable. The B-1B has been extensively used for missions in the Iraq and Afghan Wars,as well as in Operation Odyssey Dawn over Libya in 2011;Operation Desert Fox in 1998;and Kosovo in 1999.In the Afghan War,it has been used in an armed overwatch capacity,loitering in flight until tasked by ground forces for precision strike with advanced munitions. The Air Force intends to fly the Lancer into the 2030s,gradually replacing it with the Next-Generation Bomber.It believes the B-1B is particularly well-suited for the new Pivot to East Asia strategy,given its long range,speed and survivability.It will continue to invest in this reliable aircraft in support of Pacific and other strategic objectives.