On February 24, 2024, a serious accident occurred at Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota, USA, where a B-1B strategic bomber lost control during landing and crashed to the ground, causing the plane to be scrapped. This is the first strategic bomber accident in the US Air Force this year, and it is also the 10th crash of the B-1B bomber since it entered service.
The B-1B bomber is a variable-sweep wing supersonic bomber developed by the United States during the Cold War, which is as famous as the Russian Tu-160 bomber and is known as the pinnacle of non-stealth strategic bombers, with better performance than the B-52H bomber. A total of 100 B-1B bombers were produced, and together with the B-52 and B-2 bombers, they were called the three musketeers of the US strategic bombers.
The advantage of the B-1B bomber is that it can take off from the continental United States and fly directly to Northeast Asia and other regions to carry out missions, with a maximum take-off weight of 216 tons, and can carry up to 61 tons of ammunition, including precision-guided bombs, air-to-surface missiles, and even air-launched cruise missiles with a range of up to 2500 kilometers. The B-1B bomber mainly performs air-to-ground strike missions and is usually escorted by US Air Force fighters to improve its survivability.
However, the B-1B bomber also had its Achilles' heel, which was that it flew slower, with a maximum flight speed of only 0Mach 85, and it does not have stealth capabilities, even if it is coated with radar absorbing material, it can be easily detected and intercepted by modern air defense systems. As a result, the B-1B bomber, when performing its mission, could only launch missiles outside the range of enemy air defense, and once locked by enemy fighters, it was difficult to escape.
Due to the limitations of the B-1B bomber, the US Air Force has decided to gradually eliminate this old bomber, reducing the number from the original 62 to 45, saving money for the development of a new generation of B-21 stealth bomber. The B-21 bomber is the sixth-generation bomber of the U.S. Air Force, known as the "Raider", with advanced stealth and survivability, which can hit targets anywhere in the world, and is the future pillar of the U.S. Air Force bomber fleet. The B-21 bombers, which are planned to be armed with at least 100 units, will replace the B-1B and B-2 bombers.
The U.S. Air Force is accelerating the retirement of B-1B bombers to make room for B-21 bombers, and it is expected that by 2030, all B-1B bombers will be decommissioned. Before the B-1B bomber is decommissioned, it will undergo some upgrades, including the installation of new avionics systems and ** systems to extend its service life, and even carry hypersonic missiles to improve its deterrent.
The crash of the B-1B bomber not only caused huge economic losses, but also about 3 per B-1B bomber1.7 billion US dollars, equivalent to 22 yuan700 million yuan, and it has also exposed the decline of the combat strength of the US Air Force, many of which are old models of old models, often break down and have accidents, and cannot adapt to the modern war environment. Although the US Air Force is dressed in wolf's clothing, it is actually a tiger and it is difficult to deal with a strong opponent. The first fall of the B-1B bomber opened a bad omen for the US Air Force in 2024 and accelerated the elimination process of the B-1B bomber.