Supersonic bomber B-1 Lancer. Ulan Strategic Aviation of the US Air Force

B-1-a supersonic strategic bomber with a wing of variable geometry, was created as a replacement of the B-52 and became the world"s first combat aircraft in the design of which was widely used elements of the STLS technology. Under Reagan, 100 such machines were built at the disposal of the US Air Force strategic command as nuclear weapons. In the final version - B -1B, the concept of breakthrough of the air defense at the super -marked heights with the envelope of the terrain was implemented. Although in 1990 the bomber received the official name "Ulan" ("Lancer"), the pilots had already managed to give him a less solemn name - "Bone" ("bone") After the Cold War, the planes of this type were converted into carriers of tactical weapons, but only in 1998 the remaining Ulan were first involved in a combat operation, striking bombing on Iraqi objects. However, then they fought continuously: Yugoslavia, Afghanistan (there the "Lancers" actually played the role of front-line bombers, having recorded 40% of the high-precision corrected bombs at their own expense), Iraq, where 240 objects were struck by bombs on the first day of the B-1B invasion, in 2011 in 2011 G. - Libya, in 2012 - a return to Afghanistan, and from 2014 to 2016 "work" for goals in Syria.
In the new book of the famous aviation historian, a detailed history of the creation of B-1 and data on its design, production, flight characteristics, weapons and combat use are complemented by many photographs and unique drawings