Bombardero B-1B

[champi]

Un B-1B vuela con una carga completa de JASSM (24 unidades): http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123221154

Posted 9/9/2010
by Tech. Sgt. Robert Wollenberg
7th Bomb Wing Public affairs

9/9/2010 - DYESS AIR FORCE BASE, Texas (AFNS) -- A Dyess Air Force Base B-1B Lancer carried a full load of 24 AGM-158 Joint Air-to-Surface Stand-off Missiles on a flight over the Gulf of Mexico, Sept. 7 -- a first for the B-1 and AGM-158.

"The mission was a success," said Maj. Brian Owen, the chief of wing weapons and tactics. "Everything went as planned, and we can verify that the B-1B can in fact operate its full capacity of JASSMs."

The purpose of the flight was to ensure maintainers, ammo and munitions Airmen and B-1 aircrew are proficient in uploading, flying, employing and downloading the AGM-158 JASSM and to test all missile-related processes to see if there's room for improvement. None of the missiles were released during this test; they were system-checked while in the air.

"Maintainers loading 24 JASSMs on one B-1 is a record-setting event," said Senior Master Sgt. Jeff Rud, of 7th Maintenance Group. "It's never been done before. The main reason we're doing this is for training. It's the cornerstone of all we do. It provides us the opportunity to hone our war fighting skills and gives us the opportunity to project our combat capability right here out of Dyess (AFB)."

The B-1 is the most capable JASSM employment platform in the world, Major Owen said.

"We've seen the engineering specs that say it's supposed to work, but it's never been done before," Major Owen said . "What makes the B-1 unique versus the other aircraft around the world is that we can employ these weapons on such a large scale. We can take off with two aircraft and have the capability to strike 48 different targets."

The second most capable aircraft is the B-2 Spirit, carrying 16 JASMMs, followed by the B-52 Stratofortress with 12.

[champi]

Los B-1s de Ellsworth acumulan más de 1.100 misiones de combate en 12 meses: http://www.airforcetimes.com/news/2010/ ... ns-092110/

The Associated Press
Posted : Tuesday Sep 21, 2010 9:25:10 EDT

RAPID CITY, S.D. — The commander of Ellsworth Air Force Base says the B-1 is doing big job overseas.

KEVN-TV reports that Col. Jeffrey Talliaferro, commander of the 28th Bomb Wing, says 25 percent of troop support flights in Iraq and Afghanistan are done by B-1s.

Talliaferro says from July of last year to July of this year Ellsworth bombers flew more than 1,100 combat missions and 14,000 combat flight hours.

Ellsworth is one of two air bases that have B-1 bombers.

Segun los datos que proporciona, el B-1B estarí­a volando 3 misiones diarias de una media de más de 12h, con las que realiza un cuarto de las misiones totales de apoyo en Irak y Afganistán.

[Orel]

Fí­jate, el 25% de las misiones CAS realizadas en Astán las llevan a cabo los B1-B (con sus flamantes pod Sniper XL)... como para poner unos avioncitos de esos de hélice a sustituirlos.

[poliorcetes]

Lo de la sustitución de B-1 por aviones COIN no es que te la hayas currado mucho, precisamente...

Vamos, lo del non sequitur y eso.

[Orel]

Era una broma, pero dejando ver que el peso del CAS lo llevan aviones que no son "especí­ficos".

[poliorcetes]

hombre, no sé quién ha hablado de emplear un turbohélice para otra cosa que no sean misiones COIN, entrenamiento y complemento a la observación. Como en cualquier otro caso de emplear un sistema para un escenario distinto a los que está utilizado, serí­a absurdo.

Otra cosa, que en este caso sí­ se discutió, es si estas propuestas recientes de turbohélice tienen escenarios factibles y con suficientes ventajas como para que la adquisición e implementación del sistema fuera rentable. Esa es otra cuestión completamente distinta.

Pero vamos, sugerir que un turbohélice va a poder ocupar el lugar de un multirrol o de un CAS especializado como un A-10 o un AC-130 no tiene sentido. Un turbohélice, con sus costes, podrí­a operar en entornos de baja intensidad y amenaza con ciertas ventajas. Pero en cuanto el enemigo se pone serio, es un pato sentado.

[Orel]

hombre, no sé quién ha hablado de emplear un turbohélice para otra cosa que no sean misiones COIN, entrenamiento y complemento a la observación.

Jobar, creí­ que se pillaba más fácil: la broma iba por el tema de tu avión favorito, del que se puso alguna imagen hace poco en otro hilo: el Skyraider

[champi]

íšltimo B-1B en recibir el pod Sniper: http://www.defense-aerospace.com/articl ... -pods.html

(Source: U.S Air Force; issued November 9, 2010)

ELLSWORTH AIR FORCE BASE, S.D. --- The last 28th Bomb Wing B-1B Lancer received the necessary modifications to operate the Sniper advanced targeting pod Oct. 18.

The advanced targeting pod acts as a long-range camera, which can pinpoint targets for precision strikes and close-air-support missions.

"It's hard to imagine doing close-air support without it," said Capt. William Louie, the 34th Bomb Squadron weapons systems officer. "The sniper pod and the B-1 go together very well, especially with the expanded mission of the bomber."

Since its combat debut in 2008, the Sniper pod has become an invaluable tool in assisting coalition servicemembers on the ground in hostile areas, Captain Louie said. Its ability to provide a live video feed to ground forces has saved their lives on numerous occasions.

"It's changed the way we fight the war," Captain Louie said. "The Sniper pod is an after-market add-on that allows us to improve our CAS training and operations."

First requested in July 2006, the Sniper pod expanded the B-1's role downrange by enabling weapons systems officers to positively identify targets, self-generate coordinates, provide coalition forces with remote video feeds and employ laser-guided weapons. These capabilities, coupled with the long loiter time of the B-1 and the intense training of its aircrew members, make for an invaluable asset in the current theater of operations.
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[champi]

Nuevo "rack" de carga de PGMs: http://www.dyess.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123249991

Posted 4/4/2011 Updated 4/5/2011
by Airman Charles V. Rivezzo
7th Bomb Wing Public Affairs

4/4/2011 - DYESS AIR FORCE BASE, Texas -- The 337th Test and Evaluation Squadron began its first phase of testing March 22 of a Multiple Ejector Rack to a B-1 Bomber here.

If fielded, 16-carry modified rotary launchers will increase the number of 500-pound Joint Direct Attack Munitions and Laser Guided JDAMs carried by the B-1 from 15 to 48, a 320 percent increase in capability.

"The benefits of this increased capability are substantial," said Col. Gerald V. Goodfellow, 7th Operations Group commander. "As an example, when many Americans think about a bomber, they envision a B-52. Many Americans are surprised to find out that a B-1 can already carry and deliver twice as many precision guided bombs as a B-52."

With this upgrade, one B-1 could carry and deliver up to four times as many precision weapons as a B-52.

"This is a big deal for a variety of reasons" Colonel Goodfellow said. "One reason being, it is expensive to operate bombers. However, cost per bomb delivered goes way down with increases in number of bombs that a bomber can carry and deliver.

"For instance, if only one B-1 needs to fly, instead of four B-52s to destroy the same number of targets, imagine the fuel savings," he said. "And fuel savings are just a small part of a bomber's total operating costs."

Also, the B-1 Multiple Ejector Rack has a mixed-load capability, meaning each bomb bay can hold an assortment of Joint Air-to-Surface Stand-off Missiles, precision 2,000-pound JDAMs, and 500-pound JDAMs. The capability to carry so many different weapons on the same rack gives B-1 aircrews much greater targeting flexibility during combat missions.
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[Kolditz25]

Saludos.
Me consta que las tropas españolas en Afganistan han recibido apoyo de B-1, realizando "impresionantes" Show Force.

[elder]

Lo de la sustitución de B-1 por aviones COIN no es que te la hayas currado mucho, precisamente...

Se referí­a a aviones tipo Tu95 hombre...

[champi]

Informe de vuelo de un B-1B... de hace 25 años: http://www.airforce-magazine.com/Magazi ... 6bone.aspx

[champi]

Sobre su futuro: http://www.dodbuzz.com/2011/07/05/a-bat ... b-1-fleet/

By Philip Ewing Tuesday, July 5th, 2011 8:07 am

Here's an update on an issue you first read about here on Buzz several months ago: The Air Force wants to begin paring back its fleet of B-1B Lancers ever so slowly, first retiring six aircraft and then eventually phasing out the Lancers as its fleet of new hyper-bombers theoretically comes online. Congressional lawmakers with B-1s based in their districts vowed to fight this plan, arguing that the B-1 is the greatest aircraft ever flown, that it's as cheap as daylight, that taking these six out of service would leave America defenseless against world villainy — you know the drill. Now, it appears, some bomber backers are acknowledging that if they can't save this batch of B-1s, they want to keep the greenbacks “saved”by their retirement, and guarantee the future of the rest of the fleet.

Nick Penzenstadler of the Raid City Journal — whose hometown Ellsworth AFB, S.D. stands to lose two of the six B-1s — writes that lawmakers appear willing to accept a tactical loss here in order to secure a strategic victory:

A House version of the [defense] bill seeks to protect cuts to the combat aircraft at Ellsworth. Now, the Senate wants to ensure savings go back into the program and protect the fleet from further retirements in the next 10 years.

“A portion of the savings from this reduction would fund needed modifications and upgrades to the B-1, while the remainder would be re-invested in other U.S. Air Force and Department of Defense capabilities needed to balance war fighting capabilities across the force,”said Col. Mark Weatherington, commander at Ellsworth.

A Senate Armed Services Committee document obtained by the Journal calls for at least 60 percent of the savings to be reinvested in the U.S. military's entire bomber fleet, of which 35 percent must specifically go back into the B-1.

Exactly how much money would be saved by the cuts is unclear, but the committee included a request to the Air Force for specifics in its budget document. Retiring two bombers at Ellsworth would equate to a loss of funding for 160 civilian and military workers at the base.

Another line in the Senate document calls for “a modernization plan for sustaining the remaining B-1 bomber aircraft through at least calendar year 2022.”That assurance seems to imply the fleet would be safe from further cuts for at least the next 10 years.

Here's another detail:

The House version of the bill, approved May 26, stipulates that no B-1s can be retired until 2018 or until a new long-range bomber is ready, whichever comes first.

Given that no one knows much about the new bomber, the constituencies here are just obeying the old rule: A big, swing-wing bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.

[champi]

Todos los B-1B en la misma base: http://www.dyess.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123270805

by Senior Airman Robert Hicks
7th Bomb Wing Public Affairs

9/6/2011 - DYESS AIR FORCE BASE, Texas -- For the first time, B-1 Bombers from Dyess, Ellsworth and Edwards Air Force Base have been parked on the same ramp at the same time.

The first B-1 Bomber was delivered to Dyess in June 1985. Initial operational capability was achieved on Oct. 1, 1986. The final B-1 was delivered May 2, 1988.

"It was exciting to see all the different unit's B-1 tails on the runway together after the B-1s were transferred from Mountain Home, Robbins and McConnell Air Force Base to Dyess and Ellsworth," said Richard Warner, 7th Bomb Wing Museum Curator and Historian.

Dyess is the hub of the B-1 community operating and maintaining more than half the fleet.
"Dyess is an important hub of the B-1 community," said Col. David Béen, 7th Bomb Wing commander. "We have our own combat deployment squadron, weapons school, and test and evaluation squadron. We train every B-1 crew member who enters the Air Force."

The Dyess flightline has more than enough room to hold the fleet of B-1 Bombers stationed here.
...

[champi]

Más actualizaciones de software: http://www.defense-aerospace.com/articl ... onics.html

(Source: Boeing Co.; issued October 31, 2011)

OKLAHOMA CITY --- The Boeing Company has received a follow-on contract from the U.S. Air Force for additional upgrades of the B-1 bomber fleet's avionics software.

The $57 million contract continues a software-sustainment program that has updated and improved the B-1's sustainability and operational capabilities since the aircraft entered service in 1989. Usually, one avionics software block is in development while another is in test and a third is fielded on the fleet of 66 B-1s. This new agreement authorizes Boeing to start work on Sustainment Block 16A (SB 16A).

SB 16A includes changes to the aircraft's navigation, weapon delivery, radar, diagnostics, electrical multiplexing, communication/navigation management system software, and controls and displays. Design and development work will begin immediately.
...
SB 16A will further improve the B-1 crew's situational awareness, using the new color cockpit displays, data link, and sensor capabilities added by recently awarded production contract programs. The multi-mission B-1 has been employing a large mixed payload of precision munitions in combat support of collation troops. Its low radar cross-section, variable-geometry wings, advanced avionics, and afterburning engines combine to provide long range, maneuverability, high speed and survivability.
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