Rockwell B-1B Lancer Operational Units

The B-1B Lancer has been operational with the following USAF units:

• 7th Wing, Dyess AFB, Texas. Took over assets of 96th Bomb Wing on October 1, 1993.
  
  
  • 9th Bomb Squadron (1993-present)
    
    
  • 13th Bomb Squadron. Added March 1999 as a second training unit. (2000-2005)
    
    
  • 28th Bomb Squadron. Transferred to the 7th Wing Oct 1, 1984. (1994-present)
    
    
  • 337th Bomb Squadron. First operational B-1B squadron. Inactivated October 1, 1994, transferring assets to 28th Bomb Squadron.
  
  
• 28th Bombardment Wing, Heavy, Ellsworth AFB, South Dakota. Second B-1B wing to be activated. Converted from B-52H to B-1B from January 1987. Redesignated 28th Wing Sept 1, 1991.. On June 1, 1992, the wing gave up its tankers and transferred to the Air Combat Command and redesignated 28th Bomb Wing
  
  
  • 34th Bomb Squadron (1994-1997, 2002-present)
    
    
  • 37th Bomb Squadron (1986-present0
    
    
  • 77th Bomb Squadron (1985-1995, 1997-2002)
  
  
• 53rd Test and Evaluation Group, Nellis AFB, Nevada
  
  
  • 337th Test and Evaluation Squadron, Dyess AFB, Texas (2004-present)
  
  
• 57th Wing, Nellis AFB, Nevada
  
  
  • 77th Weapons Squadron, Dyess AFB (2003-present)
  
  
• 96th Bombardment Wing, Heavy, Dyess AFB, Texas. First USAF Wing to reequip with the B-1B, accepting its first plane June 29, 1985. Redesignated 96th Wing on September 1, 1991. Became 96th Bomb Wing when it transferred to Air Combat Command Jun 1, 1992. Stood down October 1, 1993 when its assets were turned over to the 7th Wing.
  
  
  • 4018th Combat Crew Training Squadron. Activated Mar 1985 as replacement training unit for B-1B. Inactivated Jul 1, 1986, replaced by the 338th CCTS
    
    
  • 338th Combat Crew Training Squadron (1986-1993).
    
    
  • 337th Bombardment Squadron, Heavy. First operational B-1B squadron, achieving IOC Oct 1, 1986.
  
  
• 319th Bombardment Wing, Heavy, Grand Forks AFB, North Dakota. Converted to B-1B in 1988. Redesignated 319th Wing in September 11991, activating the 319th Operations Group. Gave up its tankers and redesignated 319th Bomb Wing Jun 1992. Inactivated July 16, 1994, becoming the 319th Air Refueling Wing Most of its B-1Bs went to the 34th BS of the 366th Wing.
  
  
  • 46th Bombardment Squadron, Heavy. Transitioned to the B-1B in 1988. Inactivated Jul 16, 1994.
  
  
• 366th Wing, Mountain Home AFB, Idaho. Composite wing made up of B-1Bs, F-145Es, F-15Cs, F-16Cs, and KC-135s.
  
  
  • 34th Bomb Squadron. Activated April 1994 at Ellsworth AFB as part of the 366th Wing based at Mountain Home AFB. The B-1Bs are based at Ellsworth to avoid the expense of maintaining the bombers at Mountain Home..
  
  
• 384th Bombardment Wing, Heavy, McConnell AFB, Kansas. Established July 1, 1987 as a redesignation of the former 384th Air Refueling Wing, Heavy. Redesignated 384th Wing September 1, 1991. Inactivated October 1, 1994, and transferred its aircraft to the 184th Bomb Group, Kansas ANG.
  
  
  • 28th Bombardment Squadron, Heavy. Became 28th Bomb Squadron September 1, 1991. Transferred to the 7th Wing at Dyess AFB Oct 1, 1994.
  
  
• 412th Test Wing, Air Force Materiel Command, Edwards AFB, California.
  
  
  • 419th Flight Test Squadron

The units of the Air National Guard are normally under the command of the state governors, but they can be placed under federal control in times of national emergency or to enforce federal authority. At one time, the units of the Air National Guard were equipped with second-hand aircraft after they were retired from active USAF service, but nowadays the ANG is considered as being an integral part of American military planning and has participated in most recent US military actions. The ANG units are considered as a part of the Air Combat Command.

As part of this effort, some B-1Bs were transferred to ANG units as follows:

• 116th Bomb Wing, 128th Bomb Squadron, Georgia ANG, Dobbins AFB, Georgia. Moved to Robins AFB, GA and traded in its F-15 Eagles for B-1Bs in 1996.
  
  
• 184th Bomb Wing, 127th Bomb Squadron, Kansas ANG, McConnell AFB, Kansas. Transferred to B-1Bs from F-16s October 1995. Received B-1Bs from the former 28th Bomb Squadron/384th Bomb Wing at the same airfield.

In order to save money, the USAF agreed to reduce its active fleet of B-1Bs from 92 to 60 aircraft. The first B-1B was flown to storage at AMARC on August 20, 2002. In total, 24 B-1Bs were consigned to storage at AMARC, with ten of these being retained in "active storage" which means that they could be quickly returned to service should circumstances dictate. The ramaining 14 in storage at AMARC will be scavenged for spare parts to keep the remainder flying. The remaining 8 aircraft to be withdrawn from service will be placed on static display at various museums.

All FY 1983 and most of the FY 1984 aircraft are due to be retired, leaving only the more recent aircraft still flying.

The 366th Wing/34th Bomb Squadron at Mountain Home AFB, Georgia, plus two ANG units, the 184th BW/127th BS at McConnell AFB, KS and the 116th BW/128th BS at Robins AFB, Georgia, all ceased operations with the B-1B. This left the 7th BW at Dyess AFB, Texas and the 28th BW at Ellsworth AFB, South Dakota as the only two Wings still flying B-1Bs. The seven B-1Bs at Mountain Home were moved to Ellsworth, and 12 ANG B-1Bs transferred to Dyess.

The following B-1Bs have been sent to museums: 1. 83-0065 Star of Abilene – Dyess Linear Air Park at Dyess Air Force Base, Texas. 2. 83-0066 Ole Puss – Heritage Park at Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho. 3. 83-0067 Texas Raider – South Dakota Air and Space Museum at Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota. 4. 83-0068 Spuds – Reflections of Freedom Air Park at McConnell Air Force Base in Wichita, Kansas. 5. 83-0069 Silent Penetrator – Museum of Aviation at Robins Air Force Base in Warner Robins, Georgia. 6. 83-0070 7 Wishes – Hill Aerospace Museum at Hill Air Force Base in Ogden, Utah. 7. 83-0071 Spit Fire – near the main gate at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma. 8. 84-0051 Boss Hawg – National Museum of the United States Air Force at Wright-Patterson AFB near Dayton, Ohio. 9. 85-0080 on display at Barksdale Global Power Museum at Barksdale AFB, near Bossier City, Louisiana

Sources:

1. United States Military Aircraft Since 1909, Gordon Swanborough and Peter M. Bowers, Smithsonian, 1989.
   
   
2. American Combat Planes, Ray Wagner, Third Edition, Doubleday, 1982.
   
   
3. American Warplanes, Bill Gunston
   
   
4. Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation
   
   
5. Lancers on Guard, Eric Tegler, Combat Aircraft, Vol 2, No 9, May-June 1999.
   
   
6. Rockwell B-1B Lancer, Bill Gunston, World Air Power Journal, Vol 24, Spring 1996
   
   
7. Air Combat Command's Bomber Force, Don Logan, Combat Aircraft Vol 2, No 2, May-June 1999.
   
   
8. Air Intel, by Tom kaminski, April 1999, Combat Aircraft Vol 2, No 1.
   
   
9. JDAM--The Future of Bombing, Lon Nordeen, Air Forces Monthly, No. 136, July.
   
   
10. The "Bone"--The Rockwell B-1B Lancer in USAF Service, Rene J. Francillon, Combat Aircraft, Vol 1, No. 10, November 1998.
    
    
11. Airscene Headlines, Air International, October 2002.
    
    
12. Rockwell B-1 Lancer, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rockwell_B-1_Lancer
    
    
13. E-mail from Vahe Demirjian on B-1Bs sent to museums