The U.S. Air Force has reactivated another B-1B Lancer, nicknamed "Rage," from the "Boneyard" at Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona. This aircraft, initially retired and preserved in Type 2000 storage, was brought back to replace a damaged B-1B.
Summary and Key Points You Need to Know: The U.S. Air Force's fleet of B-1 Lancer bombers has been steadily reduced, with fewer than 50 remaining in service. Despite the ongoing retirement process, some B-1s have been pulled from the "Boneyard" at Davis-Monthan AFB for restoration due to other aircraft being damaged beyond repair.
-With Congress mandating a fleet of 45 B-1Bs until the B-21 Raider enters service, more retired B-1s may need to be restored to ensure the fleet's readiness.
Resurrecting the B-1 Lancer: U.S. Air Force Brings Retired Bombers Back to Life
The United States Air Force's fleet of Rockwell B-1 Lancer bombers has slowly been retired from service. There are fewer than 50 of the Cold War long-range strategic bombers in service, down from its original 100. In 2021, the fleet saw 17 bombers retired - but due to a few incidents, there have been occasions where some of the old Bones sent to the infamous "Boneyard" have returned to service.
That included the aircraft nicknamed "Lancelot," which was selected earlier this year to replace a B-1 Lancer that was damaged beyond repair after suffering an engine mishap during otherwise "routine" maintenance at Dyess Air Force Base (AFB), Texas in April 2022. The B-1 was flown to Tinker AFB, Oklahoma, to complete the regeneration process.
It was reported last month that another B-1B Lancer - nicknamed "Rage" - has also been resurrected. That aircraft, serial number 86-0115, was one of the original four out of the 17 retired bombers deemed to be maintained "in a reclaimable condition" so that they could be refurbished and returned to service. It was recently spotted flying at Davis-Monthan AFB in Tucson, Arizona. The base is home to the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group (AMARG), the unit that manages the Department of Defense's (DoD's) Boneyard of aircraft.
Congress has mandated that the service maintains a fleet of 45 B-1Bs - which will remain in service until the Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider enters service in the coming decade.
22 сен 2024
