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| -Signs, Portents, and the Weather- |
| Exit of the B-1 begins. |
| 2021-02-18 |
| [US Air Force] AFGSC paving way for B-21, begins retirement of B-1 aircraft BARKSDALE AIR FORCE BASE, La. -- In support of its efforts to modernize America’s bomber fleet, the United States Air Force will begin divesting 17 B-1B bombers from its current fleet as authorized by the National Defense Authorization Act. This action will not affect the service’s lethality or any associated maintenance manpower. It will allow officials to focus maintenance and depot-level manpower on the remaining aircraft, increasing readiness and paving the way for the bomber fleet modernization ready to meet future challenges. “Beginning to retire legacy bombers, to make way for the B-21 Raider, is something we have been working toward for some time,” said Gen. Tim Ray, Air Force Global Strike Command commander. “Due to the wear and tear placed on the B-1 fleet over the past two decades, maintaining these bombers would cost 10s of millions of dollars per aircraft to get back to status quo. And that’s just to fix the problems we know about. We’re just accelerating planned retirements.” The 17 B-1B aircraft will be retired from the current fleet of 62 B-1s, leaving 45 in the active fleet. Of the 17 B-1 aircraft, four will be required to remain in a reclaimable condition that is consistent with Type 2000 recallable storage. Continuous combat operations over the last 20 years have taken a toll on the airframe’s structure. Currently, a small portion of the B-1Bs are in a state that will require approximately ten to thirty million dollars per aircraft to get back to a status quo fleet in the short term until the B-21 comes online. “Retiring aircraft with the least amount of usable life allows us to prioritize the health of the fleet and crew training,” Ray said. “Our ability to balance these priorities will make us more capable and lethal overall.” With fewer aircraft in the B-1 fleet, maintainers will be able to give more time and attention to each aircraft. “The divestiture of the B-1 is necessary in order for the Air Force to create an even more lethal, agile and sustainable force with a greater competitive edge for tomorrow’s fight,” Ray said. Related: Defense News - Want bigger aircraft force levels? Buy spare parts. |
| Posted by:3dc |
| #7 It's said we couldn't build the Hoover Dam or Golden Gate Bridge anymore, and I guess it's just as well we aren't even trying to... |
| Posted by: M. Murcek 2021-02-18 17:31 |
| #6 Not surprising. The B-1 was designed to fly most times with its wings swept back. After flying nearly a decade in Afghanistan with its wings out so it can do close air support, the metal fatigue has been a hell of a lot more than the designers planned for. Their wings are literally about to fall off. |
| Posted by: DarthVader 2021-02-18 13:58 |
| #5 I went to a Thunderbirds airshow many moons ago and saw a B-1 with it's bomb bay doors open. I recall being surprised at what I thought was its small size until my buddy pointed out it was designed to carry things that are measured in megatons not tons. I need to have the obvious pointed out occasionally. |
| Posted by: One Eyed Tsar 2021-02-18 08:18 |
| #4 /\ But, but, but the new SECDEF's #1 priority is...... |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2021-02-18 07:39 |
| #3 Mercutio, It gets worse - USAF is starting to pull the KC-10 out of the inventory as the KC-135 starts to reach 'too old' status and the misbegotten KC-45 still isn't mission capable. Mike |
| Posted by: Mike Kozlowski 2021-02-18 07:37 |
| #2 Sounds like they're retiring them before the replacements are available. Good thinking, guys. |
| Posted by: Mercutio 2021-02-18 07:21 |
| #1 ...There's an interesting factor at work here that has so far escaped most people's notice: the B-1 is an extraordinarily difficult aircraft to keep flying. Only 100 were built, but to a surprising extent they weren't what you'd think of as 'production' aircraft - each one was almost as hand-built as a McLaren supercar, and each one has unique fit and access issues. Add to that the fact that the USAF never bought spares in anything like the amounts needed (remember, B-1 was only supposed to hold on until we got the 135 B-2s....of which we only built 21)and you end up with a superb airframe hobbled by maintenance and spares issues. The decom might not be as much about the B-21 coming on line (which won't be until at LEAST 2026) as acknowledgement that they simply can't keep the B-1s in service at current numbers. Mike |
| Posted by: Mike Kozlowski 2021-02-18 06:24 |