Ellsworth Air Force Base in Pennington County, South Dakota — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)

B1-B Lancer

A Bomber for the 21st Century

Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., September 20, 2026

1. B1-B Lancer Marker

Inscription.

Designed and built to fight a Cold War enemy, the B-1 bomber and its crews adapted to the threat of international terrorism. Features that made the B-1 effective against the Soviet Union are now used to directly support ground troops and to target hidden and scattered terrorist groups. Simply put, Airmen in the "Bone" can get to any place in the world, bring a huge quantity and variety of weapons, and destroy their targets with near perfect accuracy.

The 28th Bomb wing at Ellsworth AFB is home to two of the nation's three combat squadrons.

After 9/11, B-1s deployed to the island of Diego Garcia. From there, they bombed targets in Afghanistan

LOADED WITH FEATURES
The most visible B-1 technology is its variable-sweep wings, which can almost double its wingspan for greater lift. The "Bone" can fly on auto-pilot at a constant height above changing terrain. It has features that deceive radar. And of course, it carries the largest load of bombs in the Air Force today.

A B-1 can carry 24 of these GBU-31 guided bombs, each of which weighs 2,000 pounds.

DATA CARD
Top Speed mph · 950
Crew · 4
Range · Intercontinental
Payload

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· 75,000 lbs. of guided and unguided munitions.

Erected by South Dakota Air and Space Museum.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Air & Space • War, 2nd Iraq • War, Afghanistan • War, Cold. A significant historical date for this entry is October 1, 1986.

Location. 44° 7.98′ N, 103° 4.357′ W. Marker is in Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota, in Pennington County. Marker and aircraft are on static display at the South Dakota Air and Space Museum. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 2890 Davis Drive, Ellsworth AFB SD 57706, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in West River,

in the Badlands,

and in Greater Rapid City.

It is also in the American Lewis & Clark Corridor,

on the prairies,

and on the Northern Plains.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once Rupert’s Land

and also the Louisiana Purchase.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: VB-25J Mitchell (within shouting distance

B1-B <i>Lancer</i> and Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., September 20, 2026

2. B1-B Lancer and Marker

of this marker); B-25 Mitchell (within shouting distance of this marker); Interceptor Alert Hangar (within shouting distance of this marker); F-100A Super Sabre (within shouting distance of this marker); MIM-3 Nike Ajax (within shouting distance of this marker); Duke Corning (within shouting distance of this marker); Veterans Memorial Park (approx. 0.9 miles away); South Dakotans Killed in Action in Afghanistan (approx. 0.9 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Ellsworth Air Force Base.

Another marker is no longer nearby. Rockwell B-1B "Lancer" (was here, next to this marker).

More about this marker. Although an official field museum of the US Air Force Heritage Program and is adjacent to Ellsworth AFB main gate, the museum does not require access onto the base.

B1-B <i>Lancer</i> image. Click for full size.

Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., September 20, 2026

3. B1-B Lancer

Credits. This page was last revised on October 6, 2026. It was originally submitted on October 6, 2026, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio. This page has been viewed 4 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on October 6, 2026, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio.