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United States Boeing
B-1B Lancer
Supersonic variable-sweep-wing strategic bomber originally developed by Rockwell (now part of Boeing's legacy) that carries the largest conventional payload in the U.S. Air Force bomber fleet. Converted from nuclear to conventional-only role in 2011.
In service since 1986 · 1 operator countries
Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-02
1,448
km/h
11,998
km range
18,000
m ceiling
34,019
kg payload
💲 ≈ $317,000,000 — Historical program unit cost
Procurement snapshot
Availability & export
US ITAR-controlled
Export needs U.S. State Dept (DDTC) approval; end-use & re-transfer restrictions apply.
Channel: Foreign Military Sales (FMS) or Direct Commercial Sale
Fielded & proven
Limited · 1 operator
In service since 1986. Status: active · ~100 built.
Lifecycle cost (est.)
$793M – $1.1B
Acquisition is only ~30% of lifecycle cost — operating & support dominate over ~35 yrs. Rough 2.5–3.5× the unit price.
Interoperability
No standardised NATO calibre / datalink detected in public specs.
Derived guidance from public data — export regime by country of origin, lifecycle from the GAO ~30% acquisition rule. Verify eligibility, pricing and offsets with the manufacturer and your acquisition authority.
Full specifications
Performance
Speed, range, altitude and engagement capability.
- Max speed
Maximum level speed. For aircraft this is at optimal altitude; for ground vehicles, top road speed. Higher means faster response and better kinematic performance.
- 1,448 km/h Stronger than 56% of bombers
- Max speed (Mach)
Maximum speed as a multiple of the speed of sound. Mach 2+ is typical for air-superiority fighters.
- 1.2 Mach
- Range
Maximum distance: ferry range for aircraft, operational range for vehicles, maximum engagement distance for missiles. Higher means more standoff or persistence.
- 11,998 km
- Service ceiling
Maximum operating altitude. Higher gives energy advantage and sensor horizon.
- 18,000 m Top 6% of bombers
Firepower
Armament, payload and guidance.
- Hardpoints
External stations for weapons and pods. More means bigger and more flexible loadouts.
- 6
- Weapons payload
Maximum ordnance weight the platform can carry. Higher means more strike capacity per sortie.
- 34,019 kg Stronger than 81% of bombers
Physical
Dimensions, weight and crew.
- Length
Overall length including gun/probe where applicable.
- 44.5 m
- Wingspan
Wingtip-to-wingtip span.
- 41.8 m
- Height
Overall height. Lower profile is harder to spot and hit for ground vehicles.
- 10.4 m
- Empty weight
Weight without fuel, ammunition or crew.
- 87,090 kg
- Combat weight
Fully loaded weight. Lighter eases transport and bridging limits; heavier often means more armor.
- 216,365 kg
- Crew
Personnel required to operate. Fewer reduces exposure; autoloaders trade a loader for mechanical complexity.
- 4
Propulsion
Engine, power and fuel.
- Engine
Powerplant model and type.
- General Electric F101-GE-102 afterburning turbofan
- Engines
Number of engines. Twin-engine gives redundancy at higher cost.
- 4
- Thrust
Total engine thrust (with afterburner where applicable).
- 136 kN
- Propulsion type
Turbofan, turboshaft, diesel, gas turbine, solid-fuel rocket, ramjet…
- Turbofan
Sensors & avionics
Radar, sensor suite and datalinks.
- Radar
Primary radar. AESA (active electronically scanned array) is the current state of the art.
- AN/APQ-164
Program
Cost, production scale and operators.
- Unit cost
Approximate flyaway/unit cost where public. Defense pricing varies hugely by contract, offsets and configuration. Lower is cheaper.
- $317,000,000
- Units built
Total production run. Higher means proven manufacturing, mature logistics and spares availability.
- 100 Stronger than 39% of bombers
- Operator countries
Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem.
- 1 Stronger than 44% of bombers
Specifications compiled from public Boeing and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations — treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-02.
Compare with rivals
See how it stacks up
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Xi'an Aircraft Industrial Corporation (XAC) H-6K Frequently asked questions
What is the top speed of the Boeing B-1B Lancer? +
The Boeing B-1B Lancer has a maximum speed of 1,448 km/h.
What is the range of the Boeing B-1B Lancer? +
The Boeing B-1B Lancer has a maximum range of 11,998 km.
What is the weapons payload of the Boeing B-1B Lancer? +
The Boeing B-1B Lancer can carry up to 34,019 kg of weapons payload.
How much does the Boeing B-1B Lancer weigh? +
The Boeing B-1B Lancer has a combat weight of 216,365 kg.
How many crew does the Boeing B-1B Lancer require? +
The Boeing B-1B Lancer requires a crew of 4.
What engine does the Boeing B-1B Lancer use? +
The Boeing B-1B Lancer is powered by the General Electric F101-GE-102 afterburning turbofan.
What is the Boeing B-1B Lancer used for? +
The Boeing B-1B Lancer is a bomber typically used for deep strike.
How many countries operate the Boeing B-1B Lancer? +
The Boeing B-1B Lancer is operated by 1 countries.
How much does the Boeing B-1B Lancer cost? +
The Boeing B-1B Lancer has an approximate unit cost of 317,000,000 USD. Defense pricing varies by contract, offsets and configuration — treat this as directional.
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