Aircraft · Air
B-1B Lancer
Variable-sweep-wing bomber for long-range conventional strike.
by Boeing
- Milestones0
- Operators—
- Components—
- Programs—
- Capabilities—
- Inputs—
Photo: U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Kevin J. Gruenwald via Wikimedia Commons · Public domain (PD-USGov-Military-Air Force) · Resized and reencoded as WebP with metadata removed; no additional crop.
Timeline
No milestones recorded for B-1B Lancer yet. The timeline fills in as unveilings, tests, contracts and deliveries are sourced.
Cost to the Government
Aircraft · Rockwell / Boeing
B-1B Lancer
Long-range conventional bomber with a shrinking legacy fleet, depot work, and substantial annual sustainment costs.
Reported aircraft unit cost
$317M
2016 fact sheet · Dollar year not stated
Historical Air Force published figure; not a current replacement cost.
U.S. Air Force ↗Reported fleet strength
45
2026-04-23 · U.S. only
Air Force describes regenerating an aircraft to preserve its mandated 45-bomber fleet; this is not mission-capable availability.
U.S. Air Force ↗Post-retirement fleet target
45
2021-02 plan · U.S. only
62 less 17 planned retirements; source documents the plan, not a new 2026 inventory census.
U.S. Air Force ↗Development program total
Not verified
A separately scoped historical development total has not been verified.
Regeneration and fleet size
The Air Force returned a stored B-1B to service in 2026 to preserve the 45-aircraft fleet while another aircraft underwent extensive structural repairs. This is a replacement within the fleet, not a new-build acquisition.
Operations & sustainment
Annual O&S / aircraft
$18.2M / yr
FY2018 · Constant FY2018 USD
GAO historical operating and support costs; fleet average, not a current-year estimate.
GAO ↗Cost over time · 2 observations
Each row retains its original scope and dollar basis. Changing quantities, service life and inflation can change the estimate without changing the price of building one unit.
| Observation | Measure | Amount | Dollar basis | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2011 | Annual O&S / aircraft Same GAO inflation-adjusted series. Changes can reflect fleet size and maintenance cycles. | $27.95M / yr | Constant FY2018 USD | GAO ↗ |
| FY2018 | Annual O&S / aircraft GAO historical operating and support costs; fleet average, not a current-year estimate. | $18.2M / yr | Constant FY2018 USD | GAO ↗ |
Contracts & purchasing · 1 records
Award values, ceilings and purchase agreements have different meanings. These records are not added together as total spending.
2019-04-12 · Maximum B-1/B-52 IDIQ value
U.S. Air Force → Boeing
$14.314B · quantity not established
Shared modernization and sustainment ceiling for two bomber types through 2029. Not B-1-only spending; $1.215568M obligated on the first task order at award.
Department of Defense ↗
International buyers
No international purchase documented in this review.
Coverage & open research
- Separately scoped historical R&D total remains unverified; missing is not zero.
- Quantity and cost figures retain their source dates. Historical snapshots are not a census of operational availability on the review date.
- No international purchase record verified in this profile; this is not proof that no foreign operators exist.
Unit costs and contract unit prices for this system, and budget figures for the programs that buy it. Each figure states its dollar basis and links its source; contract values are under Programs & awards.