Summary and Key Points: The B-1B Lancer is transitioning into its most lethal configuration yet: the “Super Bomber.”
-Utilizing a $50 million budget request for the Load Adaptable Modular (LAM) pylon program, the Air Force is restoring the Lancer’s dormant external hardpoints.
B-1B Lancer Bomber. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
B-1B Lancer. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
-This upgrade increases the bomber’s standoff missile capacity by 50%, allowing a single aircraft to carry up to 31 precision weapons, including hypersonic boost-glide missiles.
-This “arsenal plane” strategy ensures the U.S. maintains a high volume of fire in the Indo-Pacific while the B-21 Raider ramps up toward its 2027 service entry.
B-1B Bomber Has Evolved Through The Years, Keeping It Relevant
The B-1B Lancer has evolved from a 1980s supersonic nuclear penetration bomber into a premier conventional, long-range precision strike platform. Today, the “Bone,” as it is affectionately called, is being used in ways it was never designed for.
It transitioned from high-altitude, high-speed design (B-1A) to low-level, stealth-optimized flight (B-1B), ultimately dropping nuclear roles in favor of conventional, high-payload, and hypersonic weapon testing capabilities.
Together with the B-52 and the B-2 Spirit stealth bomber, they still pack a mighty punch against America’s enemies.
But the B-1B and B-2 are slated for the boneyard…eventually.
The B-21 Raider Will Replace The B-1B and the B-2 Spirit
B-21 Raider Bomber. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
B-21 Raider. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
The B-21 Raider was officially unveiled in December 2022 and is currently in low-rate initial production (LRIP) after making its maiden flight last November. U.S. Air Force officials say the B-21 Raider is a “dual nuclear and conventionally capable, stealth, penetrating, long-range strike platform.” The B-21 will replace the aging B-1B Lancer and B-2 Spirit in the coming decade.
The B-21 Raider is named after the Doolittle Raiders of World War II, an Army land bomber squadron that took off from an aircraft carrier and bombed Japan during the darkest days of WWII.
However, until the B-21 Raiders are ready, the Air Force’s triad will continue, and although the Lancer isn’t a stealth bomber, it still packs an incredible punch. The US recently sent a small fleet of B-1Bs to Guam as a deterrent. But first, let’s look at the journey of the B-1B and how she keeps evolving.
B-1 Lancer’s Mission History
A U.S. Air Force B-1B Lancer assigned to the 34th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron, Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D., runs final checks before takeoff of a training mission in support of Bomber Task Force 25-1 at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, Feb. 24, 2025. The BTF missions are designed to showcase the Pacific Air Force’s ability to deter, deny, and dominate any influence or aggression from adversaries or competitors. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt Robert M. Trujillo)
A U.S. Air Force B-1B Lancer assigned to the 34th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron, prepares to taxi onto the runway at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, prior to a mission in support of Bomber Task Force 25-1, Feb. 27, 2025. Bomber missions demonstrate the credibility of U.S. Air Forces to address a complex and uncertain security environment. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Alec Carlberg)
The B-1 bomber was officially named the Lancer, but pilots call it the “Bone,” a nickname derived from the aircraft’s designation B-1. It was first developed in the 1970s as a supersonic replacement for the B-52 Stratofortress.
Her mission was to penetrate Soviet airspace flying low and fast, and when approaching a nuclear weapon target, pop up to an appropriate altitude, deliver her atomic bombs, and then drop her altitude using her speed to get away.
The original design could fly at speeds of Mach 2.2 (1,688 mph). However, President Carter cut the program in 1977 due to its high cost, the introduction of the AGM-86 cruise missile that flew the same essential speed and distance, and the development of the B-2 stealth bomber.
Carter said, “The B-1 bomber is an example of a proposed system which should not be funded and would waste taxpayers’ dollars.”
President Reagan On The B-1B And The B-2 Programs
However, President Reagan faced the same dilemma as Carter: Should we develop the B-1 for the short term or wait for the B-2 stealth bomber? He decided to develop both programs.
Reagan restarted the program in 1981, and some changes were made. The payload was increased to 74,000 pounds, an improved radar was added, the radar cross-section was reduced, and the inlets were reduced in size, lowering the top speed to Mach 1.2 (920 mph).
The B-1B was fitted with the APQ-164 multimode radar instead of the APQ-144 scanning radar and the APQ-146 terrain-following radar of the B-1A.
The changes made the “Bone” more of a bomb truck conducting precision air strikes, rather than a nuclear deterrent.
The first B-1B bomber, “The Star of Abilene,” was delivered in 1985. By 1988, all 100 orders had been delivered, and production had stopped. The US had a bomber force that could penetrate Soviet airspace and take out targets inside the Soviet Union in a nuclear confrontation.
The Collapse Of The Soviet Union And The Effect On the B-1B
B-1B Lancer. Image: Creative Commons.
Around the time of the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the signing of the START nuclear arms treaty with Russia, President George H.W. Bush ordered a $3 billion refit so that the B-1B eliminated the ability to carry nuclear weapons.
The B-1 Lancer was now only a conventional bomber. However, early use of the 40 conventional bomb-carrying variants had issues with engine fires. For that reason, as well as staying on nuclear alert status, the B-1Bs were held out of Desert Storm, and the B-52s were used instead.
The Five Phases Of Evolution of the B-1B Lancer
Colonel Joseph Kramer, then-7th Bomb Wing commander at Dyess AFB, Texas, in an interview with the service’s media, explained the five historical phases of the B-1’s tactical role.
“It was initially designed to carry nuclear weapons. It would approach its target at low altitude, then climb to a designated altitude and drop its payload. Its stealth and speed would be a major factor in using this tactic.”
“Its second phase would be the traditional tactic of dropping conventional bombs (dumb bombs) that weren’t very precise.”
“In its third phase, the B-1 employed 2,000-pound guided bombs that landed within 10’s of feet of its target.”
Fitted with 2,000 lb GBU-31 JDAMs (Joint Direct Attack Munition), eight B-1s dropped close to 40 percent of the aerial ordinance during Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. 3,900 JDAMs were dropped during the operation by B-1s. JDAMs were also used by B-1s over Iraq during the Second Gulf War.
“In its fourth phase, which was very effective in the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) area of operations, the B-1 carried an advanced targeting pod that permitted it to loiter overhead and strike individual vehicles with precision.”
“In its fifth and current phase of operations, the B-1 can launch guided cruise missiles like the long-range guided anti-ship missile (LRASM) hundreds of miles from its target and strike it with precision.”
“The last phase will facilitate the transition to the new B-21 Raider in the near future,” he added.
The B-1B “Weapon’s Truck” Upgrade
The Air Force plans to keep the B-1Bs in service until 2038, when the B-21 Raider stealth bomber is expected to enter full service.
The Air Force is launching the External Heavy-Stores Pylon (LAM) program, with over $50 million requested in FY 2026 to equip B-1B Lancers with Load Adaptable Modular (LAM) pylons.
These external pylons restore and upgrade dormant external hardpoints to carry larger, modern standoff missiles (like LRASM and JASSM) and hypersonic weapons, boosting payload capacity and “volume of fires” to bridge capability gaps before the B-21 Raider is fully operational.
By expanding the number of existing standoff weapons the B-1B can carry—such as the AGM-158 Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile and its stablemate, the Long-Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM)—the Air Force says it can “mitigate transition risk of the Air Force bomber fleet prior to the emergence of the B-21 as a combat bomber.”
This program increases the B-1B’s total missile capacity by roughly 45,000 lbs, allowing it to carry 24 or more internal weapons while adding significant external carriage.
The War Zone reported that the FY 2026 budget also referenced the “Hypersonic Integration Program,” which apparently showcased the Lancer’s ability to “execute a captive carry of a 5,000-pound class store and the release of a proven weapon shape from a Load Adaptable Modular (LAM) pylon.”
The AGM-183A Air-Launched Rapid Response Weapon is a hypersonic weapon that uses a boost-glide system, meaning that when it returns to Earth after reaching near-space altitudes, it exceeds Mach 5. While China and Russia have hypersonics that are fired from ground launchers, this air-deployed missile would make it inherently more dangerous.
The “Bone” Remains A Critical Part Of The Air Force’s Power
B-52 Bomber. Image Credit: 19FortyFive.com Taken at the National Museum of the Air Force.
B-52 image taken at the National Museum of the Air Force. Image Credit: Harry J. Kazianis, Editor-In-Chief of 19FortyFive.com
“The Bone” remains a critical asset in the U.S. Air Force’s bomber force, along with the B-52 Stratofortress and the B-2 Spirit, and can carry massive conventional payloads and conduct long-range strike missions. With an internal weapons payload of 70,000 pounds, it has the largest payload of any US plane ever.
While it lacks the stealth quality to make it an ideal penetrator of enemy (Russian, Chinese, North Korean, and Iranian) airspace, it may have lost its mission as a nuclear bomber. Still, it can carry 24 Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAMs). It has been a versatile airframe that has evolved.
With the capability to launch long-range stand-off weapons, it can target naval ships while patrolling large swaths of the Pacific Ocean. Due to its long range, it is fully capable of this, along with the B-52. For now, the stealthy missions will fall to the B-2.
The US will start seeing the B-21s by 2026, but until then, our triad of tried-and-true bombers will have to suffice. The B-1B will remain a huge part of that.
About the Author: Steve Balestrieri
Steve Balestrieri is a National Security Columnist. He served as a US Army Special Forces NCO and Warrant Officer. In addition to writing on defense, he covers the NFL for PatsFans.com and is a member of the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA). His work was regularly featured in many military publications.
