U.S. Central Command has said that American B-1 bombers carried out strikes deep inside Iran aimed at degrading the country’s ballistic missile capabilities.
In a post published on 2 March, CENTCOM stated that U.S. B-1 aircraft had struck targets linked to Iran’s missile programme during the previous night. The command said the objective of the operation was to reduce Iran’s ability to launch ballistic missile attacks.
CENTCOM’s statement quoted the U.S. President as saying, “we’re going to destroy their missiles and raze their missile industry to the ground.” The post did not specify the precise locations targeted, the number of aircraft involved or the scale of damage inflicted.
The B-1 Bomber
The Rockwell B-1 Lancer is a supersonic, variable-sweep wing heavy bomber operated by the United States Air Force. Nicknamed the “Bone,” it is one of three strategic bombers in U.S. service, alongside the B-2 Spirit and B-52 Stratofortress. Designed for long-range missions, it can carry a maximum payload of 75,000 pounds of ordnance. A total of 104 aircraft were built, and it entered service in October 1986.
The aircraft was conceived in the 1960s to combine the high speed of the B-58 Hustler with the range and payload of the B-52. North American Rockwell won the design competition, producing the B-1A prototype, which demonstrated high-altitude speeds above Mach 2. The programme was cancelled in 1977 due to cost concerns, the introduction of long-range cruise missiles, and early work on the B-2 stealth bomber. It was later revived in modified form as the B-1B, with production taking place between 1983 and 1988.
The B-1B has a crew of four and is powered by four General Electric F101 afterburning turbofan engines. It has a maximum take-off weight of 477,000 pounds and can reach speeds of up to Mach 1.25. Its range is approximately 5,100 nautical miles, with a service ceiling of 60,000 feet. The aircraft’s variable-geometry wings allow it to optimise performance for take-off, cruise, and high-speed penetration at both low and high altitudes.
Armament is carried across three internal bomb bays and six external hardpoints, enabling a wide range of conventional munitions. These include general-purpose bombs, precision-guided munitions such as JDAM and JASSM, naval mines, and stand-off weapons including the LRASM. While originally capable of carrying nuclear weapons, the B-1B is currently configured for conventional missions.
The B-1B’s blended wing-body design, terrain-following radar, synthetic aperture radar, and GPS-aided inertial navigation system support precision strike operations. It is equipped with defensive systems including electronic countermeasures, radar warning receivers, expendable countermeasures, and a towed decoy system. Data link capabilities, including Link 16, allow integration into joint force operations and enable rapid engagement of time-sensitive targets.
Do the Americans realise this bombing task is Vietnam X2, and look how long that took! Apparently, Iran, like Afganistan has many caves, some natural, others man-made and these can be very risky to neutralise. The US air power is impressive and it will certainly damage the defence network but it won’t stop determined people; look at the Ukrainians. Admittedly, China could help, but it’s concerned about oil supply, so it will play a careful game. Russia would love to step in but it chose Ukraine. North Korea is a free agent to a point, but its contribution could be more token than meaningful assistance. Though we all know it, only troops on the ground probably remove the current government, and you won’t see Trump for dust if that request lands on his desk!