B-1B Lancer Units in Combat

An illustrated history of the development of the Lancer, a much-maligned yet valuable bomber during the later 20th century.

The Lancer began its duties with Strategic Air Command as a nuclear-armed bomber in the mid-1980s. The end of the Cold War intervened, and the aircraft was removed from its nuclear missions as a result of arms control legislation.The Lancer began its duties with Strategic Air Command as a nuclear-armed bomber in the mid-1980s. The end of the Cold War intervened, and the aircraft was removed from its nuclear missions as a result of arms control legislation. In order to retain the B-1 as a viable frontline type, the USAF re-rolled the Lancer as a potent conventional weapons carrier. The wide-range of ordnance which the B-1B can carry has seen it participating in Operation Desert Fox over Iraq, Operation Allied Force over Kosovo and Serbia, Operation Enduring Freedom against the Taliban and Al-Qaeda in Afghanistan and most recently during Operation Iraqi Freedom, when the aircraft was used to personally target Saddam Hussein.