b-21 | Blind Bat News

On 23FEB2021, a ‘divested’ B-1B bomber landed at Edwards Air Force Base (AFB) in California, being saved from the ‘boneyard’ in Arizona, but never to fly again.

U.S. Air Force photo by May Straight.

The B-1B tail number 86-0099 arrived with Ruptured Duck artwork on the side.

USAF photo by May Straight.

Under the National Defense Authorization Act, the U.S. Air Force (USAF) is required to divest 17 B-1B Lancers (aka Bones) in order to justify buying the new B-21 Raider (a new version of the B-2).

USAF photo by Giancarlo Casem, 23FEB2021..

Ruptured Duck is now the new Edwards Aircraft Ground Integration Lab (EAGIL) static test aircraft. It’s hoped the EAGIL program will save taxpayers money by reducing the costs of developing electronic upgrades for aircraft, compared to using flying test-beds.

USAF photo by Wesley Farnsworth, 17APR2017.

B-1B #86-0099 was named Ruptured Duck in 2017, on the 75th Anniversary of the Doolittle vengeance raid on Japan. One of the B-25 Mitchell bombers in that raid was named Ruptured Duck:

Official video explainer:

Natural sound video, by Giancarlo Casem, of Ruptured Duck’s arrival on Edwards AFB:

‘Divestiture’: ANOTHER B-1B ‘BONE’ SENT TO THE BONEYARD! IS THE END NEAR?

U.S. Air Force photo by Airman First Class Quentin Marx, 16FEB2021.

The military calls it ‘divestiture’, when they retire a major piece of military equipment. Under the National Defense Authorization Act, the U.S. Air Force (USAF) is required to divest 17 B-1B Lancers (aka Bones) in order to justify buying the new B-21 Raider (a new version of the B-2).

USAF photo by Airman Jonah Fronk, 17FEB2021.

On 17FEB2021, the first of several Ellisworth Air Force Base (AFB) 28th Bomb Wing ‘Bones’ was sent off on its last flight to the ‘BoneYard’ at Davis-Monthan AFB, in Arizona.