First Flight: October 18, 1984
North American Aircraft (now part of Boeing), produced 100 B-1B aircraft for the U.S. Air
Force in the 1980's. Cost of the total 100-aircraft program, which included funding for
other contractors as well as the funds the Government expended itself, was capped at $20.5
billion (FY 81) by President Reagan in a certification to the U.S. Congress. The first
B-1B aircraft was delivered to the Air Force at Edwards AFB, California in October 1984,
just 33 months after contract go-ahead.
Initial delivery to the Strategic Air Command took place in June 1985 at Dyess AFB, Texas.
On October 1, 1986 the B-1B achieved Initial Operational Capability (IOC) and by November
1986 B-1Bs were coming off the production line at a rate of four per month.
B-1Bs are based at Dyess AFB, Texas; Ellsworth AFB, South Dakota; McConnell AFB, Kansas;
Robins AFB, Georgia; and Mountain Home AFB, Idaho.
