The B-1B Lancer was conceived as a key leg of America’s nuclear triad. Swept-swing and supersonic, the B-1B gave the US Air Force a deep penetration strike option designed to break behind Soviet lines. But today, the bomber flies only conventional missions. The transition—from a nuclear to a conventional platform—reflects a shift in arms control, global strategy, and post-Cold War realities.

The original B-1 program has its roots in the “fast bomber” movement of the 1960s. Conceived to penetrate Soviet air defenses at high speed and low altitude, the bomber was intended to carry nuclear gravity bombs and cruise missiles. The aircraft was designed with an emphasis on survivability through speed, terrain masking, and payload. Still, amid spiralling budgets and a financial crisis in the United States, the B-1A program was ultimately cancelled.

The Reagan administration revived the program as the B-1B in 1981 amid a broader defense spending increase. The updated B-1B bomber had a reduced radar cross-section (RCS) relative to the........

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