At Ellsworth Airport in South Dakota, USA, on February 24, 2024, a B-1B fighter lost control during landing, fell to the ground, and crashed. This is the first strategic bomber crash suffered by the US Air Force this year, and there have been 10 crashes since the B-1B entered active service.
The B-1B is a variable-sweep supersonic bomb developed by the United States during the Cold War, which, like the Russian Tu-160, is considered the ultimate ** of "non-**", and has a better performance than the B-52H. In total, the United States has manufactured more than 100 B-1Bs, which are called the "Big Three" along with the B-52 and B-2.
The B-1B has the advantage of departing from the territory of the United States and flying directly to Northeast Asia and other regions, with a maximum take-off weight of 216 tons and the ability to carry 61 tons of artillery shells, including precision-guided, ground-to-ground, and even air-based cruise missiles at a range of 2,500 kilometers. The main role of the B-1B is to carry out air attacks on the ground and to fly under the escort of US Air Force fighters to enhance their vitality.
However, the B-1B also has a huge flaw, that is, its flight speed is too low, and the maximum flight speed can only reach 0Mach 85, and does not have the best function, even if it uses radar-absorbing materials, it will be detected and intercepted by advanced anti-ship missiles. Therefore, during the flight, the B-1B attacked outside the range of the enemy's air defense, and if it was targeted by the enemy's fighters, it would be difficult to get out.
Due to the limitations of the B-1B, the US Air Force has decided to gradually reduce its 62 units to 45 units in order to save more money and develop a new generation of B-21** bombers. The U.S. Air Force's sixth-generation fighter B-21, nicknamed the "Raider", has a high degree of height and high vitality, and can attack any place around the world, which is the main strategy of the U.S. Air Force in the future. It is scheduled that more than 100 B-21s will be used to replace the B-1B and B-2.
The U.S. Air Force is currently accelerating the phase-out of the B-1B to provide more open space for the B-21s, which will be fully retired by 2030. The B-1B needs to go through a series of technical improvements, such as adding new electronic equipment, new **, so as to achieve a longer service time, and add a hypersonic missile to it to enhance its deterrence.
The wreck of the B-1B cost the US Air Force 3$1.7 billion ($22.2.)700 million) also reflects the fact that the combat effectiveness of the US Air Force has declined: many fighters have aged and frequently malfunctioned, and can no longer meet the needs of the modern battlefield. The US Air Force is strong on the outside and capable in the middle, but in fact it is a tiger, and it is very difficult for it to deal with a strong enemy. The downing of the B-1B indicates that the US Air Force will face an ominous omen in 2024, and at the same time accelerates the decommissioning of the B-1B.