How The 90s-era B1-B Bomber Flew Over Korean Peninsula, Surging into Future War

By Kris Osborn, President, Warrior

Now configured to fire hypersonic weapons, the classic 1990s B1-B workhorse bomber has been upgraded with an improved weapons bay, communications and battle command technologies, fire control systems and an expanded arsenal for air attack.

The Lancer, which recently participated in a live-fire bombing exercise with South Korea in a bomber deterrence mission, continues to be preserved and enhanced by the Air Force in preparation for years of extended service.

These are likely a few reasons why the B1-B Lancer, which first emerged in Combat in Operation Desert Fox in 1998, is still surging into the future, as evidenced by its inclusion in this recent US-South Korean joint live-fire bomber patrol over the Korean Peninsula.

Like many aircraft, such as the B-52 bomber and fighter jets like the F/A-18 Super Hornet and F-15 Eagle, service life, technological relevance and attack capacity can be preserved and enhanced on decades old airframes for many years beyond their anticipated service life. The B1-B, F-15 and B-52, for example, are now almost completely new aircraft when compared with when they first emerged. This is because airframes can often remain viable, years after the electronics, computing, weaponry and communications technology become obsolete.  In many cases, airframes and aircraft structures can be reinforced and strengthened for future service without needing to be fully replaced or rebuilt.

B1-B Bombing Missions in Iraq and Afghanistan

While less flashy than other service aircraft, and by no means stealthy, the Air Force’s B1-B bomber has operated as a quiet and often lesser recognized “workhorse” bomber which, for instance, dropped thousands of JDAMs during the multi-year wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The B-1 can hit speeds of MACH 1.25 at 40,000 feet and operates at a ceiling of 60,000 feet. It fires a wide range of bombs, including several JDAMs: GBU-31, GBU-38, and GBU-54. It also fires the small diameter bomb-GBU-39.