B-1 Bombers to Commence Transfer from Ellsworth Air Force Base to Grand Forks Air Force Base Commencing This Week
Here's the lowdown: The US Air Force is shifting 17 B-1B Lancers and over 800 airmen from Ellsworth AFB, SD to Grand Forks AFB, ND for the next 10 months, starting this week. This move is to make room for Ellsworth to accommodate the new B-21 Raider, as it undergoes construction.
The Air Force announced this temporary move back in August, subject to a final environmental assessment and legal review. The 319th Reconnaissance Wing at Grand Forks confirmed the relocation on Dec 2. The first two bombers are expected to hit the runway this week, weather permitting. The rest will follow in January.
The runway construction project at Ellsworth has been brewing for a while now, but the B-1 relocation is a necessity now to get the construction going. Grand Forks is the closest Air Force base to Ellsworth with a paved runway for fixed-wing aircraft, a mere 400 miles apart.
Grand Forks has a bomber history dating back to 1963, housing B-52s until it switched to B-1 missions in 1986. After the last B-1s departed in 1994, the wing was re-designated as the 319th Reconnaissance Wing, currently hosting RQ-4 Global Hawk drones. The base still meets the necessary requirements to host the B-1s, such as minimum runway lengths and facilities for refueling and storing munitions.
Col. Tim Monroe, 319th Reconnaissance Wing commander, stated, "Incorporating the B-1 community into our Grand Forks Unmanned Aerial System ecosystem will be beneficial for everyone involved. This temporary relocation is a significant step towards Air Force integration, readiness, and agile combat employment."
A B-1 from Ellsworth conducted a hot-pit refueling operation at Grand Forks in preparation for the move, and in November, Vice Chief of Staff Gen. James C. "Jim" Slife met with Grand Forks civic leaders.
This move represents more than a third of the Lancer fleet, which will stand at 44 aircraft following recent crashes and regenerations from the "Boneyard." This isn't the first time Ellsworth's B-1s and airmen had to relocate—a crash in January closed the base's runway, forcing some bombers to hightail it to Dyess AFB, Texas, the other main B-1 base for a few weeks.
In the grand scheme, this relocation underscores the versatility and adaptability of the B-1 fleet, enabling more flexible deployment options and potentially strengthening alliances through diverse military integrations. Keep your eyes peeled for further developments!
- The US Air Force's shift of 17 B-1B Lancers and over 800 airmen to Grand Forks AFB, ND, frees up space at Ellsworth AFB, SD, for the construction of the new B-21 Raider, which is part of the aerospace industry's ongoing development.
- As the relocation is temporary, Ellsworth AFB will eventually accommodate a larger portion of the B-1 fleet once again, highlighting the versatility and adaptability of these aircraft in the US Air Force's arsenal.
- The US Air Force Air Force's decision to temporarily station B-1B Lancers at Grand Forks AFB also provides an opportunity for integration with the existing RQ-4 Global Hawk drones, demonstrating the potential advantages of combining various aircraft, from manned bombers to unmanned drones, in one base.
- Meanwhile, the Space Force is keenly watching this move, as it could have implications for future space-based weapons development and the broader aerospace industry, given the increasing importance of airpower in contemporary conflicts.
- As the financial implications of such relocations are rarely discussed in detail, it raises questions about the overall cost of maintaining and updating the US Air Force's bomber fleet, and whether future funding allocations could prioritize space-based weapons and drone technology over traditional manned aircraft.
