A United States Air Force (USAF) B-1 bomber, aka B-1B Lancer, has crashed while on a training mission in South Dakota.
The B-1 bomber set off on an exercise from its home at Ellsworth Air Force Base on January 5, 2023, only to run into difficulties on its return.
In a short statement on social media, Ellsworth Air Force Base said that the supersonic bomber crashed at 5.50 pm local time while trying to land back on the installation.
Four aircrew members were forced to eject from the aircraft and are understood to be uninjured following the emergency.
At the time of the crash visibility in the area was described as poor, with freezing temperatures and low clouds.
The B-1 bomber is part of the 28th Bomb Wing, based at Ellsworth Air Force Base.
The B-1 bomber became operational during the 1980s towards the end of the Cold War with the Soviet Union.
It was originally designed to carry nuclear bombs but is no longer used in that capacity. By 2024, it is set to be replaced by the Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider.
Only 100 B-1 bombers were ever built, of which 45 remain in service with the USAF.
