For a very long time, the B-1B Lancer was the image of the might of the United States; however, at the start of 2024, it surpassed being just a power symbol. The concept was no longer how far it could go, but to make a sign that the use of force was not an option. After that unfortunate incident, the B-1 showed that the U.S. still possessed the capability – and the desire – to make a similar response. The concerted strike after the brutal assault on Tower 22 in Jordan was the moment that changed the Lancer’s reflection from a bygone era bomber to a deterrent force.
The killing of three U.S. soldiers in that drone attack wasn’t just another event within an extended sequence of attacks—it was a tipping point. The attack, launched by Iran-backed forces with Iran-supplied drones, also injured dozens more and broke a fragile stalemate. American forces stationed in Iraq and Syria had suffered more than 160 attacks for months, but Tower 22 required something different. It required a reaction that might be able to re-establish deterrence, rather than reacting with violence to violence.
All this at a time when the Air Force was already thinned. Just a few weeks earlier, on January 4, a B-1B had crashed on a training mission at Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota. The crash closed down the base’s only runway, relocating planes and scores of airmen to temporary quarters at Dyess Air Force Base in Texas. It was a test of endurance, but bomber crews flew on, trained on, and assembled squadron by squadron in ways that increased preparedness and confidence.
Then came the mission that would provide the moment its life-defining purpose. On Feb. 2, two B-1Bs took off from Dyess on direct presidential orders. Their target: high-priority targets in Iraq and Syria with militia ties to Iran-aligned militias. The bombers flew almost 7,000 miles on a straight-around-the-world trip—17 hours out, 17 hours back—and never landed overseas. In the words of Air War College fellow Ross Hobbs, it was the first time that the size of a combat mission had ever been conducted from all of the U.S. territory. It was history in motion.
The strike actually happened. There were over 85 targets American forces attacked, and over 125 precision-guided munitions dropped. These were not threats; they were aimed at command nodes, intelligence nodes, weapons storage depots, and supply lines that kept the militias in business. The B-1B was selected because it could bring reach and unbridled firepower, putting it at the point of the spear.
But most important was not the ground destruction—it was the message to the world. By conducting such a big operation without being dependent on foreign bases, the U.S. declared a potent reality: it can act independently, rapidly, and from home. In a time when access to bases and host country politics can disrupt operations, that is the tipping point.
President Biden insisted that Americans who were attacked would be met with force, and this move solidified that. That it came on the same day the troops who were killed returned to Dover Air Force Base made the message even more powerful—it was not just payback, it was accountability.
Over the weeks and months that ensued, the impact was experienced. The shelling of American troops in Syria and Iraq has been reduced to virtually nothing. Tehran did not desire to escalate the war, leading many to assume that the raid had achieved something greater than the objectives of the day—it changed the near-term threat context. It also caused other rivals to reconsider: American bombers can deliver a nasty and swift kick, even from the other side of an ocean.
Additionally, the journey communicated the need to maintain the preparedness of the bombers as well as the coordination between the different squadrons. A lot of the personnel had in mind that the function of the B-1B was fading away since the newer planes were waiting to take its place, but this task proved them wrong.
It is possible to get results from old systems if they are still up to date, if the staff is trained, and they are properly deployed. As Col. Derek Oakley of the 28th Bomb Wing put it, the interaction between Dyess and Ellsworth crews was the perfect combination of the two worlds, making it clear how well the bomber force is capable and can work together.
Though so, the Air Force continued to balance needs and requirements near term with needs farther ahead. Preparing for B-21 Raider arrivals at Ellsworth involved short-term site relocations of bombers and troops to bases such as Grand Forks, North Dakota, with ripple effects on missions and families. It was a reminder that strategic flexibility must sometimes be achieved at some level at the expense of people.