Katz, Kenneth P. The Supersonic Bone

A Development and Operational History of the B-1 Bomber

When the B-52 Stratofortress entered service with the U.S. Air Force in 1955, work was already underway on its successor. One option was the B-70 Valkyrie, a jet bomber with a speed of Mach 3. Although two XB-70A prototypes flew, the B-70 never went into production. The subsequent programme for manned strategic aircraft resulted in the B-1A bomber, which flew at high speed and low altitude to evade enemy air defences. The B-1A was cancelled in favour of equipping the B-52 with cruise missiles. The B-1, known as the Bone, was revived in 1981 as the improved B-1B to strengthen American military power and serve as a symbol of American strength at the height of Cold War tensions. The B-1B entered service in 1986 with several shortcomings. The resolution of most of these issues coincided with the end of the Cold War. After the end of the Cold War, the B-1B lost its primary nuclear role but remained relevant by transforming into a high-speed platform for conventional, precision-guided munitions with long range and high payload. The B-1B saw its first combat action in 1998 in Iraq. The Bone has proven to be an extremely effective combat aircraft in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Syria and the former Yugoslavia. This superbly researched and illustrated book traces the long development and operational history of the B-1 bomber in fascinating detail.