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B-1 (THE BONE) Completes 10,000th Combat Mission
Amazing for a fleet of only 66 aircraft... Imagine the feeling of a friendly warfighters watching a B-1 hugging the ground flying CAS overhead. Now imagine a Taliban fighter watching same. Congratulations to all the B-1 aircrews and to Boeing. This squawk links to a video/interview of the Bone. Here's the full story: http://www.dodbuzz.com/2012/02/27/the-bone-notches-10000-combat-missions/ (www.military.com) 기타...Sort type: [Top] [Newest]
I used to be an inspector )Flight Line) when these birds were being built. It is a great pleasure for me to read that they have have completed 10,000 combat missions. I loved being part of the the program, because to me it is the most eathetically appealling bomber aircraft the Air Force ever had,as well as one ass kickin flying machine. As General Chain said. I did the preflight on the last one we kicked over the fence. It was a sad day because it meant we would all go home for the last time.
I worked flight test support and avionics maintenance for the BONE out of Detachment 2, 53d Test and Eval Group at KRCA from May 1998 until my retirement in June, 2002. I supported Block D the last phase of operational testing and the Block D Force Development Evaluation. I worked directly with the Boeing engineers and my fellow maintainers throughout that period. I can't speak to what Rockwell did or didn't do for the jet - I was working the BUFF during that period. What I do know is that Boeing's Block D brought the BONE into the combat center arena (finally) because of the installation of GPS and JDAMs. No - I never have and I don't currrently work for Boeing. Despite significant problems with the ARC-210 radios that were also part of Block D, the aircrew and maintenance members along with the engineers at Tinker AFB, Oklahoma made that jet into a stellar performer. That success continues today. I guess what happened way back in the day with Rockwell can be debated. I'd rather revel about the efforts of the aviators, maintenance, support personnel and contractors that result in fewer ground combat casulties and a host of other accomplishments that the BONE has and continues to achieve.
If it only got a little better gas mileage... Man, can that jet burn some gas...
If it only got a little better gas mileage... Man, can that jet burn some gas...
Correction, I meant 500 million dollars a piece.
for $218 Million you can get a remote controlled Drone that won't get the job done. but it was a good idea!
<http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/generic/story.jsp?id=news/awx/2012/01/24/awx_01_24_2012_p0-417750.xml&channel=defense>
<http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/generic/story.jsp?id=news/awx/2012/01/24/awx_01_24_2012_p0-417750.xml&channel=defense>
I bet that these great bombers have at least another 25 years of useful life so I don't see any justifiable reason why the USAF is hell bent on acquiring a NEW bombers at a cost of easily of 500 billion A PIECE. Wake up America, enough is enough, STOP the unnecessary waste.
Outstanding!