TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. —
A decommissioned B-1B Lancer plane was pulled from the 309th Aerospace Upkeep and Regeneration Group at Davis-Monthan Air Drive Base in Arizona to rejoin the Air Drive’s Strategic Bomber Fleet and not too long ago arrived at Tinker AFB to start the regeneration course of.
The choice of the Strategic Plans and Packages workplace at Headquarters Air Drive to regenerate the plane, nicknamed “Lancelot,” helps the Air Drive Materiel Command’s mission to ship war-winning capabilities.
The necessity to pull “Lancelot” from retirement arose when one other plane skilled a catastrophic fireplace engine failure throughout routine upkeep at Dyess AFB, Texas, in 2022.
After this accident, the B-1 System Program Workplace at Tinker proposed a number of programs of motion to return the B-1B fleet to its congressionally mandated measurement and keep its operational readiness.
With projected restore prices to repair the fire-damaged plane anticipated to be cost-prohibitive, Air Drive officers elected to regenerate “Lancelot.”
The workforce from the B-1 System Program Workplace labored with their engineers and logistics colleagues to construct an announcement of labor that supplied the necessities to arrange the plane which spent two years and eleven months on the 309th AMARG. This ensured that this system workplace supplied the best necessities to make sure a secure and dependable flight.
A workforce comprised of members from the 309th AMARG; Dyess’ seventh Bomb Wing; Tinker’s 76th Expeditionary Depot Upkeep Flight and 569th Egress Flight; together with the SPO restored “Lancelot” to flying situation, permitting the plane to be ferried to Tinker AFB, the place it can endure programmed depot upkeep on the Oklahoma Metropolis Air Logistics Advanced previous to rejoining the Strategic Bomber Fleet. The plane can even obtain upgrades missed throughout its retirement in order that its capabilities match different plane within the fleet.
Jason Justice, a technical analyst contractor on the Air Drive Life Cycle Administration Middle with greater than 30 years of expertise supporting the B-1, assisted with the regeneration venture. He helped to construct the correct work necessities and compile the tools and personnel wanted to finish the regeneration job from the 309th AMARG. His workforce coordinated with the tenth Flight Check Squadron aircrew at Tinker, offering up-to-date standing and upkeep assist to make sure present software program necessities have been met for the crew to fly the plane.
After Tinker’s OC-ALC Artisans full their work, the plane will endure a useful examine flight by the tenth FLTS earlier than being delivered again to Dyess AFB for operational sorties.
Lt. Col. Michael Griffin, tenth Flight Check Squadron director of operations and a crew from tenth FLTS flew the plane from Davis-Monthan to Tinker. Griffin highlighted the significance of the regeneration effort in sustaining the B-1B fleet’s operational readiness.
“Pulling ‘Lancelot’ out of the 309th AMARG and placing it via program depot-level upkeep at Tinker will restore the plane to the operational models, permitting them to proceed to assist the nation’s name for energy projection,” stated Griffin.
“I really feel this venture is necessary in persevering with to show the reliability of the B-1 and its use for airpower and air superiority,” stated Justice.
He added, “our B-1 group is a decent knit household who demonstrates again and again that the B-1 is a viable platform when given the best individuals and cash, to provide the necessities wanted to satisfy our flying dedication to airpower.”
The B-1B Lancer’s mission is carrying the most important typical payload of each guided and unguided weapons within the Air Drive stock. The multi-mission B-1B is a serious element of America’s long-range bomber power. It could quickly ship huge portions of precision in addition to unguided munitions towards any adversary, wherever on this planet, at any time.
