B-1B Lancer Fleet To Be Reduced During Fiscal Year 2021

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The USAF to retire 17 B-1B Lancer bombers during Fiscal Year 2021

As expected, and published in the US Department of Defense Fiscal Year (FY) 2021 Budget Estimates of February 2020, more B-1B Lancers will be retired during 2021.

Having quoted the USAF commander David Goldfein last year, Scramble Facebook News (SFN) wrote the USAF was considering redirecting funding from the B-1B Lancer programme and acquiring more next generation B-21 Raider bombers. This now seems to be materialised.

On 17 September 2019, Gen. Goldfein said that over the last few years the USAF flew the B-1B in its least optimal configuration. The result of that are stresses on the aircraft that were not anticipated for its airframe. As a result, the Lancer fleet sees significant structural issues during depot maintenance. The B-1B averages 9,701 airframe hours as of January 2020. Scramble assesses that the intended 17 B-1Bs, that will be retired during 2021, are already grounded at this moment. Currently, 18 B-1Bs are stored at the 309th AMARG at Davis Monthan near Tucson (AZ). It is uncertain whether the 17 others will joining them under the Arizona sun.

The B-1B Lancer is a swing-wing, supersonic, long-range, conventional bomber. It carries the largest payload of both guided and unguided weapons in the US Air Force inventory. At this moment, the USAF maintains 62 B-1Bs in its inventory. In 2021, the Lancers in the USAF's inventory will be brought down to 45. Although its current service life extends beyond 2037, it is expected that a large number, if not all, will be retired before that year.

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