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‘Bone’ turns 25

written by australianaviation.com.au | May 4, 2010
A B-1B over Afghanistan. (USAF)
A B-1B over Afghanistan. (USAF)

The B-1B Lancer bomber, more colloquially known as the ‘Bone’ as a play on its B-1 designation, celebrated 25 years in USAF service on April 29.

Originally designed and built by Rockwell (since merged into Boeing) at Palmdale north of Los Angeles, the first supersonic B-1B entered service on April 29 1985. Rockwell built 100 B-1Bs in just three years, with the final aircraft being delivered in May 1988.

The B-1B transitioned from the nuclear to conventional bomber role from 1993, and has seen extensive operational use over Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan.

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