The B-1B Lancer has been for many years an icon of American strength, but in the beginning of 2024 it shifted into a role that was something more than mere power. It was not about how far it could travel; it was about making a statement when diplomacy didn’t work. After catastrophe, the B-1B demonstrated that America still has the scope—and the willingness—to respond in kind. The retaliatory strike following the fatal attack on Tower 22 in Jordan was a turning point, rewriting the image of the Lancer from mere bomber to instrument of deterrence.
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 size of 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 had the ability to 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. Shelling of American troops in Syria and Iraq reduced to virtually nothing. Tehran did not desire to escalate the war, leading many to assume that the raid had achieved something greater than 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 other side of an ocean.
The mission also highlighted the necessity of continued investment in bomber readiness and squadron integration. Many had taken it for granted that the B-1B’s role was vanishing as newer planes waited to take its place, but this mission demonstrated otherwise. Old systems are capable of determining results if kept current, trained, and deployed properly. As Col. Derek Oakley of the 28th Bomb Wing suggested, collaboration among Dyess and Ellsworth crews was the best of both worlds, cementing how well-capable and cohesive the bomber force can be.
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.
With the B-21 on its way to service and the B-1B on its way into retirement, this 2024 mission will probably be one of the highlights of its sunset years. It demonstrated that bombers are not dinosaurs—they remain deadly, diversified, and capable of dictating the terms of war before even a single shot is fired. More significantly, it reminded all of us that America’s arm is long, its determination unflinching, and if provoked, its response swift and merciless.