B-1B LANCER       B-1B LANCER            The B-1B Lancer was developed by Rockwell International, now Boeing       Defense And Space Group, and is the US Air Force Long Range Strategic       Bomber. The B-1B became operational in 1986 and there are about 95       currently in service. The B-1B has the largest internal payload of any       current bomber.       COCKPIT       The aircraft is operated by four crew – pilot, co-pilot, defensive systems       operator (DSO) and offensive systems operator (OSO). The DSO station is       equipped with the interface for AIL Systems Inc ALQ-161 defensive avionics       system and a Honeywell multifunction display linked to the aircraft's       Offensive Avionics System (OAS). The OSO station is equipped with two       Honeywell multifunction displays linked to the OAS.       WEAPONS       The B-1B does not currently carry nuclear weapons. The aircraft has three       internal weapon bays and six external hardpoints under the fuselage. The       maximum internal weapons payload is 75,000 lb and maximum external weapons       payload is 59,000 lbs. The internal weapons bays are capable of carrying       the AGM-86B Air Launch Cruise Missile (ALCM), the AGM-69 Short Range       Attack Missile and the JDAM Joint Direct Attack Munition. The external       hardpoints can carry the AGM-86B ALCM.       AGM-86B is a strategic cruise missile fitted with a conventional warhead,       with a yield of 200 kt and a range up to 2,500 km. The aircraft is       certificated to carry the AGM-69 nuclear strategic stand-off missile but       it is not currently carried. The Boeing JDAM uses global positioning       system/inertial navigation guidance for delivery of the 1,000 lb Mark 83,       1000lb BLU-110, 2,000 lb MK-84 and 2,000lb BLU-109. The range of JDAM is       up to 15 miles and strike precision is within 13 m.       The bomb payload of the B-1B includes the Mark 82 general purpose 500lb       bomb. It can also carry up to 30 Textron Sensor Fuzed Weapons (SFW). SFW       has ten anti-armour submunitions, each with four Skeet warheads. The B-1B       can also carry the 500lb Mark 36 Mine and the 500lb Mark 62 Sea Mine.       CONVENTIONAL MISSION UPGRADE PROGRAM       With the end of the Cold War, the USAF instituted the B-1B Conventional       Mission Upgrade program. This series of upgrades involves: Block C       (completed 1997) - capability to drop cluster bombs; Block D (first       delivery January 1999) includes deployment of JDAM, new defensive system,       new navigation and communications systems including the fitting of GPS       (global positioning) systems to enable the dropping of satellite-guided       munitions such as JDAM, and an AN/ALE-50 towed decoy system scheduled for       2003; and Block E (due to enter service in 2002) - capability to deploy       JSOW (Joint Standoff Weapon) and Wind Compensated Munitions Dispenser       (WCMD). The Joint Air to Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM) is to enter low       rate initial production in 2002 and full production in 2003.       COUNTERMEASURES       The AN/ALQ-161 defensive avionics suite provides jamming against early       warning radars an d the fire control radars of missiles and anti-air guns.       The processing algorithms are installed on an IBM AP-101F digital       computer. The system also incorporates Northrop Grumman jamming       transmitters, Raytheon phased array antennas and a tail warning pulse       Doppler radar which gives rear facing hemispherical coverage.       The system's countermeasures include dispensers for expendable decoys       including chaff and flares. The ECM suite is to be upgraded with the       AN/ALR-56 radar warner and the Integrated Defensive ECM suite       (IDECM),developed for the F/A-18 fighter aircraft. The upgrade is due to       be completed by 2007.       RADAR       The Northrop Grumman APQ-164 Offensive Radar System is a multi-mode radar       with an electronically scanned phased array antenna which provides       high-resolution terrain mapping, velocity data, beacon modes, terrain       avoidance, terrain following, position data, weather detection, rendezvous       and calibration modes.       NAVIGATION AND COMMUNICATIONS       The aircraft has Honeywell ASN-131 radar altimeter, Singer Kearfott       inertial navigation system, Teledyne Ryan APN-218 Doppler radar Velocity       Sensor (DVS), Honeywell APN-224 radar altimeter, Rockwell Collins ARN-118       TACAN Tactical Air Navigation system and Rockwell Collins ARN-108       Instrument Landing System (ILS).       The communications suite includes ASC-19 AFSATCOM satellite       communications, Rockwell Collins long range ARC-190 HF radio, AlliedSignal       KY-58 secure voice line-of-sight encryption device, Rockwell Collins       ARC-171 UHF line-of-sight communications radio system, ARR-85 secure or       open line-of-sight system and APX-101A IFF (Identification Friend or Foe).       ENGINES       The B-1B is equipped with four 30,000 pound thrust class F101-GE-102       turbofan engines from General Electric. An in-flight refuelling receptacle       allows refuelling from a KC-10 or a KC-135 tanker.        B-1B taking off during Operation Allied Force.       Conceived as a strictly nuclear bomber, the B-1B has now adopted a       conventional mission over and above the nuclear penetration role.       The  cockpit is practically laid out with key systems sensibly positioned.       Loading the bombs is a slow process unless separate teams are loading all       three weapons bays simultaneously.       A B-1B dropping a stick of retarded Mk 82 bombs, fitted with AIR tails.       A B-1B Lancer being prepared for a mission with a payload of Mk 82 bombs.       The B-1B is equipped with four F101-GE-102 turbofan engines.       The B-1B is highly manoeuvrable and its fighter-like agility is paramount       for low-level penetration.              B-1B LANCER - SPECIFICATION             Crew four: pilot, copilot and two system operators, offensive and             defensive             Dimensions              Wingspan with wings swept 78 feet             Wingspan with wings forward 137 feet             Length 147 feet             Height 34 feet             Powerplant four General Electric F101-GE-102 turbofan engines,             30,000 pound thrust class             Weapons conventional and nuclear             Performance 59 world records for speed, payload, distance, and             time-to-climb             Maximum speed supersonic and high subsonic for low altitude             penetration             Range unrefuelled intercontinental             Maximum operating weight 477,000 pounds             Tanker support compatible with KC-135 and KC-10             Time-to-Climb records for the C-1Q weight category, over 330,000lb             to altitude 10,000 feet 1 min 59 seconds             to altitude 20,000 feet 2 min 39 seconds             to altitude 30,000 feet 3 min 47 seconds             to altitude 40,000 feet 9 min 42 seconds             Time-to-Climb records for the C-1Q weight category, 170,000 -             220,000 lb to altitude 10,000 feet 1 min 13 seconds             to altitude 20,000 feet 1 min 42 seconds             to altitude 30,000 feet 2 min 11 seconds             to altitude 40,000 feet 5 min 01 seconds             Time-to-Climb records for the C-1Q weight category, 220,000 -             330,000 lb to altitude 10,000 feet 1 min 19 seconds             to altitude 20,000 feet 1 min 55 seconds             to altitude 30,000 feet 2 min 23 seconds             to altitude 40,000 feet 6 min 09 second