This volume profiles the Boeing North American B-1 Lancer, the last mass-produced strategic bomber in the US, sporting the most complex mechanical and electronic systems of any warplane ever developed. The book includes detailed explanations of technologically advanced flight and warfare avionics and descriptions of abilities and limitations evolving through changing missions and modifications.
The development of the B-1B Lancer bomber was difficult to say the least. Originally conceived to fulfill a USAF requirement for an Advanced Manned Strategic Aircraft, the original B-1A concept aircraft was accused of being a white elephant, capable of performing nothing which could not be achieved at less financial and human expense than an intercontinental ballistic missile. Cancelled by the Carter administration and finally commissioned by President Reagan as the modified B-1B, the Lancer began its duties as a nuclear-armed bomber in the mid-1980s. The end of the Cold War intervened and the jet was removed from its nuclear missions as a result of arms control legislation. However, the 1990s saw the metamorphosis of the Lancer into a potent conventional weapons carrier which has seen action in Iraq, the Balkans and Afghanistan. The Lancer has proved its critics wrong in demonstrating its use as a highly flexible and hard-working bomber, able to undertake diverse missions ranging from CAS to the targeting of weapons-of-mass-destruction installations.
An examination of the machinery, specifications, technology, and capabilities of the B-1B with a discussion of the plane's early development, combat history, and likely future.
“This profusely illustrated and thoroughly researched book conveys a wealth of information” about the USAF’s B-1 bomber (Aviation History Magazine). When the B-52 Stratofortress entered operational service with the US Air Force in 1955, work was already underway on defining its successor. The B-70 Valkyrie, a Mach 3 jet bomber, was one option. Although two XB-70A prototypes flew, the B-70 never went into production. Out of the subsequent Advanced Manned Strategic Aircraft program came the B-1A bomber, which flew at high speed and low altitude to evade enemy air defenses. But the B-1A was cancelled in favor of fitting the B-52 with cruise missiles. The B-1, known as the BONE, was revived in 1981 as the improved B-1B to boost American military power and serve as a symbol of American strength at the peak of Cold War tensions. The B-1B entered service in 1986 with several deficiencies. The resolution of most of these issues coincided with the end of the Cold War. After the Cold War, the B-1B lost its primary nuclear mission but remained relevant by transforming into a high-speed, long-range, high-payload delivery platform for conventional precision-guided munitions. The first combat use of the B-1B was in 1998 in Iraq. The BONE has proved a highly effective combat aircraft in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Syria, and the former Yugoslavia. This extensively illustrated book traces the BONE’s long development and operational history in detail. “A must-read book . . . a great reference for historians, pilots, engineers, and even policy makers. Both the writing and photos are excellent.” —Air & Space Power History
Patrick McLanahan is back — and this time he faces his most difficult challenge. He must pull together a team of aggressive, maverick young pilots to face a world on the brink of massive nuclear conflict. It begins with a joint U.S.-Japanese-South Korean mock bombing raid. But the South Korean fighter pilots don't stick to the script. Instead, they race across the border into North Korea to support a massive people's revolt against the Communists. Virtually overnight, the fledgling United Korea is the world's newest nuclear power, igniting a fuse that threatens to blow Asia apart and trigger World War III. Only McLanahan has the top-secret aviation technology and the brash young heroes to stop the coming inferno — if he can get them to stop fighting each other and start fighting as a team before the world is reduced to cinders!
This series includes excerpts from rare military technical manuals. This volume features the advanced manned strategic aircraft, B-1 A prototypes and conventional bombers.
An amazing HILO series built to hit multiple NGSS (systems, patterns, scales and math), STEM and technology benchmarks. This profile of the B-1B Lancer is driven by great photos and powerful infographics. Readers will soar alongside one of the fastest and most powerful military aircraft in the air today.
When Robert Haddick wrote Fire on the Water, first published in 2014, most policy experts and the public underestimated the threat China’s military modernization posed to the U.S. strategic position in the Indo-Pacific region. Today, the rapid Chinese military buildup has many policy experts wondering whether the United States and its allies can maintain conventional military deterrence in the region, and the topic is central to defense planning in the United States. In this new edition, Haddick argues that the United States and its allies can sustain conventional deterrence in the face of China's military buildup. However, doing so will require U.S. policymakers and planners to overcome institutional and cultural barriers to reforms necessary to implement a new strategy for the region. Fire on the Water, Second Edition also presents the sources of conflict in Asia and explains why America's best option is to maintain its active forward presence in the region. Haddick relates the history of America's military presence in the Indo-Pacific and shows why that presence is now vulnerable. The author details China's military modernization program, how it is shrewdly exploiting the military-technical revolution, and why it now poses a grave threat to U.S. and allied interests. He considers the U.S. responses to China's military modernization over the past decade and discusses why these responses fall short of a convincing competitive strategy. Detailing a new approach for sustaining conventional deterrence in the Indo-Pacific region, the author discusses the principles of strategy as they apply to the problems the United States faces in the region. He explains the critical role of aerospace power in the region and argues that the United States should urgently refashion its aerospace concepts if it is to deter aggression, focusing on Taiwan, the most difficult case. Haddick illustrates how the military-technical revolution has drastically changed the potential of naval forces in the Indo-Pacific region and why U.S. policymakers and planners need to adjust their expectations and planning for naval forces. Finally, he elucidates lessons U.S. policymakers can apply from past great-power competitions, examines long-term trends affecting the current competition, summarizes a new U.S. strategic approach to the region, describes how U.S. policymakers can overcome institutional barriers that stand in the way of a better strategy, and explains why U.S. policymakers and the public should have confidence about sustaining deterrence and peace in the region over the long term.
The B-2A 'Spirit' was an aircraft conceived to fight the Cold War but which has proved invaluable to both the 'New World Order' and more recently the 'War on Terrorism'. The combination of low-observability, precision strike, range and payload flexibility has made the 'Spirit' the weapon of choice when America hits its enemies at the start of a campaign. Spirits have fired the first shots of Operation 'Allied Force' over Kosovo and Serbia, as well as operations 'Enduring Freedom' and 'Iraqi Freedom'. Despite the tremendous cost of the aircraft – each unit is literally worth its weight in gold – the B-2 has had an impact on modern warfare which has vastly exceeded this small force of 21 bombers. Developed in utmost secrecy, the B-2's gestation saw the use of new computer design and manufacturing techniques and ultra-modern synthetic materials making it the most revolutionary aircraft in terms of design and performance. This book examines these incredible aircraft.
Did you know that helicopters can fly forward, backward, and side-to-side? Or that the wingspan of a jumbo jet is almost twice as long as the distance of the Wright Brothers' first flight? Since recorded time, man has looked to the sky and dreamed of ways to fly there. A is for Airplane: An Aviation Alphabet celebrates the roots, inventions, and spirit of the science of flight. Young readers will learn about famous events such as the Spirit of St. Louis's nonstop flight across the Atlantic Ocean and the launch of Columbia STS-1 (the first space shuttle), as well as meet courageous aviators who broke barriers in the air and on Earth like the Tuskegee Airmen and Amelia Earhart. Aircraft of all kinds, including giant airships, wind-dependent gliders, and awe-inspiring F-16s, are depicted in spectacular artwork. The glory of flight is brought to stunning life.As a teacher, parent, and published author Mary Ann McCabe Riehle has encouraged young students and adults to follow their dreams and tell their stories. A is for Aviation is her third children's book. A featured author and speaker at several reading and writing conferences, Mary Ann lives in Dexter, Michigan. David Craig is an avid history buff and his remarkable skill at depicting historical events and people has led to diverse projects including collector's plates and a millennial champagne label. His children's book, First to Fly, the story of the Wright Brothers, won the inaugural James Madison Book Award. David lives in Mississauga, Ontario.
