Posted on 04/27/2010 9:33:19 PM PDT by ErnstStavroBlofeld
The non-nuclear B-1 Lancer has adapted from a strategic mission to a close-air support role, and will continue to play an effective part in today's fight in Afghanistan and Iraq, according to leaders here.
While the remaining bombers in the Air Force inventory transferred to Air Force Global Strike Command, the B-1 has become the go-to airframe when combatant commanders want a show of force or support for ground troops.
"The predominance of what we are doing right now in theater is close-air support; non-traditional intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance; and armed overwatch" said Col. Charlie Catoe, 7th Operations Group commander. "We are supporting the troops on the ground."
"The B-1's very flexible. What makes us very useful in the current fight is that we have a large payload, we can carry a varied amount of weapons," Colonel Catoe said. "If you need to go kinetic, you have a lot of choices on what you can do."
Operating at approximately 20,000 feet, the B-1 waits or "loiters" with up to 35 tons of precision-guided weapons. When ground troops encounter the enemy, the bomber's aircrew can engage in minutes because of the B-1's readiness and speed.
"We're fast for what you might think a bomber can do," the colonel said. "The loiter time is exceptional so we don't require as much tanker time to stay and hang around over the fight. Afghanistan is a good-sized country and we can dash back and forth across it as we need to, if somebody needs help in a hurry."
(Excerpt) Read more at af.mil ...
I got caught behind a JBD one time as a Tomcat went off in afterburner.
It sucked. I just wasn’t paying attention, everyone ELSE ran out, and by the time it started winding up, I couldn’t run out. All I could do was duck inside the wheel well, tuck into a ball and pull my vest up over my face.
It got so damned hot I couldn’t breathe, thought I was going to suffocate. It felt like a REALLY long time, but it couldn’t have been more than 10 seconds or so.
I remember as the JBD was coming down, the other guys walked over to me and gave me shit. They laughed at me, but I didn’t think it was funny at the time. I kind of do now, though...:)
Whew!
LOL! No...I could hardly argue with your point of view! I tend to think you are right on this...:)
That had to be intentional for testing or something!!!! (looks like one of the early ones they flew at Pax River with the orange paint...)
I’ve never seen that before. But you know, I don’t doubt it could fly like that. I gotta keep that one and show it to my buddy (Also an AD)
I was FOOLISH to doubt the Tomcats!
I guess behind is better than in front.
We had a guy who got sucked down the intake of a Tomcat while I was there. It was either VF-32 or VF-14, I don’t remember which.
Apparently, the guy walked out from under the engine nacelle and stood up right in front of the intake with his back to it and got sucked right in.
The pilot had been looking right at the intake when the guy appeared, stood up and went in backwards, head first, and the pilot had the wherewithal to shut down the the engines immediately.
The pilot’s quick thinking saved the guy’s life, but the unlucky guy slammed head first into the cone on the front of the compressor and snapped his neck. They airlifted him off, and we heard later he was a quadriplegic.
I went down in the hangar bay a couple of days later, they had pulled the engine out of the Tomcat and had it sitting in a cradle down there, waiting to be shipped out. The engine case had some big, jagged holes in the sides, apparently some of his tools had come out of his pouch as he went in and preceded him into the engine. They went in, chewing up some of the compressor blades, then were ejected right through the compressor section casing.
It was very sobering to see.
You were on the Connie? I heard there was a guy who walked into an E-2 prop on the Connie...once, is that true? (It was hard to tell sometimes if the stories were true, or if they were just trying to scare the crap out of us to keep our heads on straight)
LOL...I sure never saw one. Very interesting!
I was on in 74-75. I can’t recall any real trouble like that. I’m certain it’s happened at some point.
Lot’s of close calls though.
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