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Pen & Sword Books Ltd Paperback English
The Supersonic BONE
A Development and Operational History of the B-1 Bomber
By Kenneth Katz
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When the B-52 Stratofortress entered operational service with the US Air Force in 1955, work was already underway on de?ning its successor. The B-70 Valkyrie, a Mach 3 jet bomber, was one option. Although two XB-70A prototypes ?ew, the B-70 never went into production. Out of the subsequent Advanced Manned Strategic Aircraft program came the B-1A bomber, which ?ew at high speed and low altitude to evade enemy air defenses. The B-1A was cancelled in favour of ?tting the B-52 with cruise missiles. The B-1, known as the BONE, was revived in 1981 as the improved B-1B to boost American military power and be a symbol of American strength at the peak of Cold War tensions. The B-1B entered service in 1986 with several de?ciencies. The resolution of most of these issues coincided with the end of the Cold War. After the Cold War, the B-1B lost its primary nuclear mission but remained relevant by transforming into a high-speed, long-range, high-payload delivery platform for conventional precision-guided munitions. The ?rst combat use of the B-1B was in 1998 in Iraq. The BONE has proved a highly effective combat aircraft in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Syria and the former Yugoslavia. This superbly researched and illustrated book traces the BONE’s long development and operational history in fascinating detail.
When the B-52 Stratofortress entered operational service with the US Air Force in 1955, work was already underway on de?ning its successor. The B-70 Valkyrie, a Mach 3 jet bomber, was one option. Although two XB-70A prototypes ?ew, the B-70 never went into production. Out of the subsequent Advanced Manned Strategic Aircraft program came the B-1A bomber, which ?ew at high speed and low altitude to evade enemy air defenses. The B-1A was cancelled in favour of ?tting the B-52 with cruise missiles. The B-1, known as the BONE, was revived in 1981 as the improved B-1B to boost American military power and be a symbol of American strength at the peak of Cold War tensions. The B-1B entered service in 1986 with several de?ciencies. The resolution of most of these issues coincided with the end of the Cold War. After the Cold War, the B-1B lost its primary nuclear mission but remained relevant by transforming into a high-speed, long-range, high-payload delivery platform for conventional precision-guided munitions. The ?rst combat use of the B-1B was in 1998 in Iraq. The BONE has proved a highly effective combat aircraft in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Syria and the former Yugoslavia. This superbly researched and illustrated book traces the BONE’s long development and operational history in fascinating detail.