The B-1B Lancer Carried Out Strikes on Iran—All the Way from America
A B-1B Lancer from the 345th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron participates in aerial exercises in Singapore in January 2024. The Lancer recently participated in airstrikes on Iran, operating from the continental United States. (Shutterstock/DLeng)
The B-1B Lancer Carried Out Strikes on Iran—All the Way from America
The B-1B Lancer does not typically perform “CONUS-to-CONUS” missions—flying from the mainland United States to the Middle East and back—but one may have been unavoidable this time.
Among the United States Air Force aircraft that have taken part in the ongoing strikes on Iran as part of Operation Epic Fury were the Northrop B-2 Spirit, Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor, and F-35 Lightning II. However, the United States Central Command (CENTCOM) also confirmed that three Rockwell B-1B Lancers also flew CONUS-to-CONUS missions from Ellsworth Air Force Base (AFB), South Dakota, to hit targets in the Islamic Republic.
“US B-1 bombers struck deep inside Iran to degrade Iranian ballistic missile capabilities. As the President stated, “we’re going to destroy their missiles and raze their missile industry to the ground,” CENTCOM said in a post on X (formerly Twitter), showing one of the Lancers taking off from the base.
Flight trackers on social media have continued to map the progress of US military aircraft. OSINT analyst DefenceGeek noted, “I’m releasing this information now as the bombers are clear of the combat area back over the Atlantic heading home”—but some analysts have reported airstrikes in real time, raising questions of operational security.
What Is a CONUS-to-CONUS Mission?
A “CONUS-to-CONUS” air mission is one that both starts and ends in the continental United States.
Owing to the daunting logistical challenges and greater expense of flying thousands of miles from the United States to a foreign target and back, the United States avoids CONUS-to-CONUS missions whenever possible, preferring to base its aircraft locally. Previous US strikes in the Middle East have been based in airbases such as Al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar and Naval Support Facility Diego Garcia in the Chagos Islands. And the purpose of an aircraft carrier is to provide a mobile air base that can be deployed anywhere in the world.
Nevertheless, CONUS-to-CONUS missions are sometimes necessary. CONUS-to-CONUS missions are particularly common for the B-2 Spirit, which must be deployed at airbases with specialized maintenance capabilities. During “Operation Midnight Hammer,” the last round of strikes against Iran, B-2 bombers flew from Whiteman AFB in Missouri to Iran and back—a trip lasting nearly 40 hours!
About the B-1B Lancer
The Rockwell B-1B Lancer formally entered service 40 years ago as a nuclear bomber, but following the end of the Cold War, it could only carry conventional weapons.
- Year Introduced: 1985
- Number Built: 104
- Length: 146 ft (44.5 m)
- Height: 34 ft (10.4 m)
- Wingspan: 79 ft (24.1 m)
- Weight:
- Empty – 190,000 lb (86,183 kg)
- Maximum takeoff weight – 477,000 lb (216,364 kg)
- Engines: Four General Electric F101-GE-102 afterburning turbofan engines
- Top Speed: Mach 1.25 (~925 mph / 1,490 km/h)
- Range: 6,500 nautical miles (12,000 km)
- Service Ceiling: 60,000 ft (18,000 m)
- Payload:
- Internal – 75,000 lb (34,019 kg)
- External – 50,000 lb (22,679 kg)
- Aircrew: Four, including an aircraft commander, copilot, and two weapon systems officers (offensive and defensive)
CONUS-to-CONUS Operations to Continue
The B-1B is easier to base abroad, and doesn’t normally fly such long-haul missions.
During the opening hours of Operation Epic Fury, the US military had the B-1B fly CONUS-to-CONUS “because the UK refused to allow the US to use its bases in Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean and at RAF Fairford in England to conduct them,” Air & Space Forces magazine explained.
However, this week, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has now reversed course, according to British officials, and will allow the United States to use those bases to conduct bombing missions. Doing so will cut the B-1B’s flight time roughly in half—and significantly reduce the workload on American tanker aircraft.
The decision from Downing Street came after an Iranian drone struck a Royal Air Force (RAF) base in Cyprus.
Expect to See More of the Lancer over Iran
The United States Air Force currently operates more than twice as many B-1Bs as B-2 Spirits. with 45 of the supersonic bomber now in service against the B-2 Spirit’s 19.
The remaining B-1Bs are stationed at Dyess AFB, Texas, and Ellsworth AFB, South Dakota. It is unclear why only three were deployed in this week’s strikes, or whether more will be sent to Europe. It is likely, but far from certain at this point, that some Lancers could also be directed to RAF Lakenheath in the UK. The B-1B has regularly operated from the base during Bomber Task Force (BTF) missions.
As noted, operating from the UK would greatly reduce travel time to the Middle East, but it raises questions about whether other NATO members would allow the bombers to transit their airspace.
About the Author: Peter Suciu
Peter Suciu has contributed to dozens of newspapers, magazines, and websites over a 30-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a contributing writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. He is based in Michigan. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: Editor@nationalinterest.org.
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