Aircraft & UAVs

B-1B Lancer

Also known as
  • B-1
  • B-1B
  • Lancer
  • Bone
  • Rockwell B-1B

The B-1B Lancer is the U.S. Air Force's long-range, supersonic conventional bomber, built to deliver large payloads of guided and unguided weapons against distant, heavily defended targets. Recent open-source reporting ties the aircraft to 2014 Operation Inherent Resolve strikes, Afghan Taliban-target attacks, a U.S. show-of-force flight near Venezuela, and 2026 strikes deep inside Iran during the 2025 Israel-Iran Conflict.

B-1B Lancer, Long-range, multi-role supersonic bomber, Aircraft & UAVs
Image source: B-1B over the Pacific Ocean

Role in Conflicts

Profile / Specs

Profile

Origin
United States
Type
Long-range, multi-role supersonic bomber
Service note
1985-present
Designer
Rockwell International
Designed
1970s
Unit cost
Approximately $283 million per aircraft in 2024 dollars, depending on accounting method
Produced
1983-1988
Number built
100

Specifications

Crew
4
Powerplant
Four General Electric F101-GE-102 turbofan engines with afterburners
Armament
Conventional bombs, mines, cluster munitions, Wind-Corrected Munitions Dispensers, JDAMs, GBU-54 Laser JDAMs, and AGM-158A JASSMs
Maximum speed
Mach 1.2 at altitude; low-level supersonic dash capability
Range
Intercontinental with aerial refueling
Payload
75,000 pounds (34,019 kilograms)
Maximum takeoff weight
477,000 pounds (216,634 kilograms)
Ceiling
More than 30,000 feet (9,144 meters)
Variants

The B-1B is the production Lancer variant derived from the earlier B-1A prototype program; B-1R remained a proposed upgrade concept rather than a fielded bomber.

VariantConfigurationDesignation notes
B-1APrototype strategic bomber

The Air Force fact sheet says four B-1A prototypes were developed and tested before the program was canceled in 1977 without production.

Sources: Air Force B-1B Lancer Fact Sheet

B-1BProduction long-range conventional bomber

The Air Force identifies the B-1B as the improved variant initiated in 1981, with radar-cross-section reductions and structural changes for a larger payload.

Sources: Air Force B-1B Lancer Fact Sheet

B-1R conceptUnbuilt regional-strike upgrade proposal

Air & Space Forces Magazine described Boeing's B-1R proposal as a Lancer upgrade concept with advanced radar, air-to-air missiles, F/A-22 engines, and higher speed at reduced range.

Sources: Long-Range Strike in a Hurry

Precision Guided Bombs

Air Force weapon-load data documents JDAM-family guided bombs in B-1B armament configurations.

Carried itemItem typeCarriage evidence
GBU-31(V)1 Joint Direct Attack Munition, 2,000-pound JDAM bomb, MunitionsGBU-31(V)1 Joint Direct Attack Munition2,000-pound JDAM

The Air Force B-1B fact sheet lists up to 24 GBU-31 2,000-pound Joint Direct Attack Munitions in the bomber's armament.

Sources: B-1B Lancer GBU-31 load, Air Force JDAM Fact Sheet

GBU-38 Joint Direct Attack Munition, 500-pound GPS/INS-guided bomb, MunitionsGBU-38 Joint Direct Attack Munition500-pound JDAM

The Air Force B-1B fact sheet lists up to 15 GBU-38 500-pound Joint Direct Attack Munitions.

Sources: B-1B Lancer GBU-38 load, Air Force JDAM Fact Sheet

GBU-54 Laser Joint Direct Attack Munition, 500-pound dual-mode guided bomb, MunitionsGBU-54 Laser Joint Direct Attack Munition500-pound laser JDAM

The Air Force B-1B fact sheet lists up to 15 GBU-54 Laser Joint Direct Attack Munitions.

Sources: B-1B Lancer GBU-54 load

Standoff Weapons

Service reporting documents the B-1B launching or being integrated with long-range standoff weapons.

Launched itemItem typeLaunch evidence
AGM-158 JASSM, Air-launched standoff cruise missile, MunitionsAGM-158 JASSMLong-range cruise missile

Air Force reporting on a B-1 missile load says the bomber carried a full load of 24 AGM-158 JASSMs.

Sources: B-1B Lancer JASSM load

AGM-154 JSOW, Air-launched guided glide bomb, MunitionsAGM-154 JSOWAir-launched guided glide bomb

NAVAIR says JSOW-C is compatible with B-1 aircraft, while the Air Force fact sheet lists JSOW integration on the B-1B.

Sources: NAVAIR JSOW-C Full Rate Production, Air Force B-1B JSOW Integration

AGM-158C LRASM, Air-launched stealth anti-ship cruise missile, MunitionsAGM-158C LRASMLong-range anti-ship cruise missile

The Navy reported the first LRASM free-flight launch from a B-1B Lancer during flight testing.

Sources: B-1B Lancer LRASM

Bombs, Dispensers, And Mines

The Air Force fact sheet lists the B-1B's internal weapons-bay loads for general-purpose bombs, cluster munitions, Wind-Corrected Munitions Dispensers, and Quick Strike naval mines.

Carried itemItem typeCarriage evidence
Mk 82 500-pound unguided bomb, Air-delivered 500-pound low-drag general-purpose bomb, MunitionsMk 82 500-pound unguided bomb500-pound unguided bomb

The Air Force B-1B fact sheet lists up to 84 Mk-82 500-pound general purpose bombs in the bomber's internal weapons bays.

Sources: B-1B Lancer Mk 82 load

Mk 84 Mod 4 2,000-pound unguided bomb, 2,000-pound unguided general-purpose bomb, MunitionsMk 84 Mod 4 2,000-pound unguided bomb2,000-pound unguided bomb

The Air Force B-1B fact sheet lists up to 24 Mk-84 2,000-pound general purpose bombs.

Sources: B-1B Lancer Mk 84 load

CBU-105 Sensor Fuzed Weapon, Sensor-fuzed cluster munition, MunitionsCBU-105 Sensor Fuzed WeaponWind-corrected munition dispenser

The B-1B fact sheet lists CBU-103, CBU-104, or CBU-105 Wind-Corrected Munitions Dispensers among the bomber's armament.

Sources: B-1B Lancer CBU-105 load

CBU-89 Gator mine, Air-delivered scatterable mine cluster munition, MunitionsCBU-89 Gator mineCluster munition

The B-1B Lancer fact sheet says the bomber can carry CBU-87/89 cluster munitions in its internal weapons bays.

Sources: Air Force B-1B Lancer Fact Sheet

CBU-104 Wind-Corrected Munitions Dispenser, Wind-corrected munition dispenser, MunitionsCBU-104 Wind-Corrected Munitions DispenserWind-corrected munition dispenser

The B-1B Lancer fact sheet lists CBU-104 Wind-Corrected Munitions Dispensers in the bomber's armament.

Sources: Air Force B-1B Lancer Fact Sheet

CBU-103 Wind-Corrected Munitions Dispenser, Wind-corrected munition dispenser, MunitionsCBU-103 Wind-Corrected Munitions DispenserWind-corrected munition dispenser

The B-1B fact sheet lists CBU-103 Wind-Corrected Munitions Dispensers in the bomber's armament.

Sources: Air Force B-1B Lancer Fact Sheet

CBU-87 cluster munition, Air-delivered cluster munition, MunitionsCBU-87 cluster munitionCluster munition

The U.S. Air Force fact sheet says the bomber's internal bays can accommodate 30 CBU-87/89 cluster munitions or CBU-97 Sensor Fused Weapons.

Sources: Air Force B-1B Lancer Fact Sheet

Mk 62 Quickstrike naval mine, 500-pound naval mine, MunitionsMk 62 Quickstrike naval mine500-pound naval mine

The B-1B Lancer fact sheet lists up to 84 Mk-62 naval mines in the bomber's armament.

Sources: Air Force B-1B Lancer Fact Sheet

Mk 65 Quick Strike naval mine, 2,000-pound naval mine, MunitionsMk 65 Quick Strike naval mine2,000-pound naval mine

The B-1B Lancer fact sheet lists up to 8 Mk 65 Quick Strike naval mines in the bomber's armament.

Sources: Air Force B-1B Lancer Fact Sheet

Timeline

B-1B Lancer Key Events

  1. B-1A prototype program

    The Air Force says the B-1A was developed as a B-52 replacement, with four high-speed prototypes tested before cancellation in 1977.

    Sources: Air Force B-1B Lancer Fact Sheet

  2. B-1B variant initiated

    The Reagan administration restarted the bomber as the B-1B, trading some top speed for reduced radar signature, an improved radar, and a higher payload structure.

    Sources: Air Force B-1B Lancer Fact Sheet

  3. Initial operational capability

    After the first production B-1 flew in October 1984 and the first B-1B was delivered in June 1985, the Air Force recorded initial operational capability on October 1, 1986.

    Sources: Air Force B-1B Lancer Fact Sheet

  4. Final B-1B delivered

    The Air Force fact sheet states that the final B-1B was delivered on May 2, 1988, completing the 100-aircraft production run.

    Sources: Air Force B-1B Lancer Fact Sheet

  5. Nuclear mission eliminated

    The United States eliminated the B-1 nuclear mission in 1994, setting up the aircraft's later conventional-only conversion.

    Sources: Air Force B-1B Lancer Fact Sheet

  6. First combat use

    The Air Force records the B-1B's first combat use during Operation Desert Fox against Iraq in December 1998.

    Sources: Air Force B-1B Lancer Fact Sheet

  7. B-1R concept discussed

    Air & Space Forces Magazine reported Boeing's B-1R regional-bomber proposal as one of several prompt global strike options discussed in 2004.

    Sources: Long-Range Strike in a Hurry

  8. Conventional-only conversion completed

    The Air Force says the B-1 conversion to conventional-only status began in November 2007 and was completed in March 2011 under New START.

    Sources: Air Force B-1B Lancer Fact Sheet

Media

B-1B Lancer Videos

B-1B Lancer Images

B-1B Lancer, Long-range, multi-role supersonic bomber, Aircraft & UAVs - view 1
Source: 28th Bomb Squadron - Rockwell B-1B Lancer Lot V 86-0123
B-1B Lancer, Long-range, multi-role supersonic bomber, Aircraft & UAVs - view 2
Source: B-1 Lancer Night
Related Weapon Systems
GBU-57A/B Massive Ordnance Penetrator, Air-delivered deep-penetration guided bomb, MunitionsMunitionsGBU-57A/B Massive Ordnance PenetratorAir-delivered deep-penetration guided bombThe GBU-57A/B Massive Ordnance Penetrator is a Boeing-built U.S. Air Force GPS-guided bunker-buster bomb for hardened and deeply buried facilities. Developed from a Defense Threat Reduction Agency technology demonstration and integrated for B-2 Spirit employment, it became operationally documented in June 2025 when U.S. B-2s used 14 weapons against Iranian nuclear target areas during Operation Midnight Hammer, an event tracked in both the catalog's U.S.-Iran and 2025 Israel-Iran conflict scopes.
GBU-31 JDAM (Mk 84 / BLU-109), 2,000-pound GPS/INS-guided bomb configuration, MunitionsMunitionsGBU-31 JDAM (Mk 84 / BLU-109)2,000-pound GPS/INS-guided bomb configurationThe GBU-31 JDAM is the 2,000-pound Joint Direct Attack Munition configuration built around Boeing's GPS/INS tail kit and either a Mk 84-class general-purpose bomb body or a BLU-109 hard-target penetrator body. U.S. military and Federal Register sources distinguish the KMU-556 Mk 84 configuration from the KMU-557 BLU-109 configuration, while direct conflict-use reporting traces GBU-31/JDAM employment from Kosovo and Afghanistan to Iraq, Yemen, Operation Inherent Resolve, the Israel-Hamas war, and the 2025 Israel-Iran conflict.
BGM-109 Tomahawk Land Attack Missile, Ship- and submarine-launched land-attack cruise missile, MunitionsMunitionsBGM-109 Tomahawk Land Attack MissileShip- and submarine-launched land-attack cruise missileThe BGM-109 Tomahawk Land Attack Missile, often abbreviated TLAM, is a U.S. long-range subsonic cruise missile used for deep precision strikes from naval surface ships and submarines, with newer variants also adding maritime-strike and warhead modernization paths. Documented combat use spans the 1991 Gulf War through Libya, Syria, Yemen, the Red Sea Crisis, Operation Inherent Resolve, and U.S. strikes on Iranian targets during the 2020 United States-Iran Conflict and 2025 Israel-Iran Conflict.

Sources

Air Force JDAM Fact SheetPublisher: U.S. Air Force | Note: Supports JDAM compatibility with the B-1B Lancer. | Accessed: 2026-06-28B-1B Lancers Perform Live Fire Weapons TrainingPublisher: Air Force Global Strike Command | Note: B-1B Lancer: reported B-1B Lancers flying with CBU-105 weapon systems during live-fire training. | Accessed: 2026-06-28Air Force B-1B Lancer Fact SheetPublisher: U.S. Air Force | Note: Supports the B-1B's mission, configuration, payload, speed, survivability, and general service background. | Accessed: 2026-06-21AFGSC B-1B Lancer Fact SheetPublisher: Air Force Global Strike Command | Note: Supports the B-1's role as the Air Force's long-range bomber with the largest conventional payload and global strike mission. | Accessed: 2026-06-21Air Force B-1B JSOW IntegrationPublisher: U.S. Air Force | Note: Supports the B-1B's launch relationship with AGM-154 JSOW by listing JSOW integration on the bomber. | Accessed: 2026-06-28NAVAIR JSOW-C Full Rate ProductionPublisher: Naval Air Systems Command | Note: Supports JSOW-C compatibility with the B-1B Lancer by documenting JSOW integration on B-1 aircraft. | Accessed: 2026-06-28B-1B Lancer LRASMPublisher: United States Navy | Note: Supports the B-1B's launch relationship with LRASM by documenting the first free-flight launch from the bomber. | Accessed: 2026-06-28B-1B Lancer JASSM loadPublisher: U.S. Air Force | Note: Supports the B-1B's carriage of AGM-158 JASSM by reporting a 24-missile load. | Accessed: 2026-06-28B-1B Lancer Mk 82 loadPublisher: U.S. Air Force | Note: Supports the B-1B's carriage of Mk 82 500-pound bombs. | Accessed: 2026-06-28B-1B Lancer Mk 84 loadPublisher: U.S. Air Force | Note: Supports the B-1B's carriage of Mk 84 2,000-pound bombs. | Accessed: 2026-06-28B-1B Lancer GBU-31 loadPublisher: U.S. Air Force | Note: Supports the B-1B's carriage of GBU-31 2,000-pound JDAMs. | Accessed: 2026-06-28B-1B Lancer GBU-38 loadPublisher: U.S. Air Force | Note: Supports the B-1B's carriage of GBU-38 500-pound JDAMs. | Accessed: 2026-06-28B-1B Lancer GBU-54 loadPublisher: U.S. Air Force | Note: Supports the B-1B's carriage of GBU-54 Laser JDAMs. | Accessed: 2026-06-28B-1B Lancer CBU-105 loadPublisher: U.S. Air Force | Note: Supports the B-1B's carriage of CBU-105 Sensor Fuzed Weapons. | Accessed: 2026-06-28Long-Range Strike in a HurryPublisher: Air & Space Forces Magazine | Note: Supports the B-1R as a Boeing regional-bomber upgrade proposal with advanced radar, air-to-air missiles, F/A-22 engines, higher speed, and reduced range. | Accessed: 2026-07-04U.S. B-1 bombers take off to support Operation Epic FuryPublisher: U.S. Central Command | Note: Supports the 2025 Israel-Iran Conflict direct use claim with the exact conflict name and a direct-use phrase: B-1 bombers struck deep inside Iran during Operation Epic Fury. | Accessed: 2026-06-21B-1 joins the fight against ISIS, TalibanPublisher: U.S. Air Forces Central | Note: Supports 2014 War Against the Islamic State direct conflict use under Operation Inherent Resolve: Supports 2014 Operation Inherent Resolve direct use by documenting a 34th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron B-1B Lancer combat mission in AFCENT's area of operations and stating that the bomber would support Operation Inherent Resolve. | Accessed: 2026-07-04Air Force B-1 Bombers Fly Near Venezuela in Latest Show of ForcePublisher: Air & Space Forces Magazine | Note: Supports background on pre-raid B-1B Lancer show-of-force flights near Venezuela in October 2025. | Accessed: 2026-06-21Military Operations: Airpower and Absolute ResolvePublisher: Air & Space Forces Magazine | Note: Supports the 2026 United States-Venezuela Conflict direct use by reporting B-1B Lancer bombers airborne in support missions during Operation Absolute Resolve as U.S. airpower disabled Venezuelan air defenses. | Accessed: 2026-07-04379th AEW bomber strikes Taliban drug facilitiesPublisher: U.S. Air Forces Central | Note: Supports the 2001 War in Afghanistan direct use by stating that a B-1B Lancer bombed Taliban narcotics production and storage facilities in Afghanistan on May 18, 2018. | Accessed: 2026-06-21B-1B over the Pacific OceanPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance and public-license context for the primary gallery image. | Accessed: 2026-06-2128th Bomb Squadron - Rockwell B-1B Lancer Lot V 86-0123Publisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance and public-license context for the second gallery image. | Accessed: 2026-06-21B-1 Lancer NightPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance and public-license context for the third gallery image. | Accessed: 2026-06-21