The B-1B 86-0115, now renamed “Apocalypse II,” returned to service at Dyess AFB after being beforehand retired in 2021.
The U.S. Air Drive introduced on Might 6, 2026, {that a} regenerated B-1B Lancer bomber has returned to service after an almost two-year restoration effort that started in July 2024 at Tinker Air Drive Base, Oklahoma. The plane is the serial quantity 86-0115, often known as “Rage,” that we wrote about in July 2024 when it was pulled from storage on the 309th Aerospace Upkeep and Regeneration Group (AMARG) at Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona – often known as the “Boneyard.”
The bomber rejoined the fleet on Apr. 22 at Dyess AFB, Texas, dwelling to the seventh Bomb Wing (seventh BW) and its constituent twenty eighth Bomb Squadron (twenty eighth BS), the place it has acquired a brand new identify, “Apocalypse II,” and a nostril artwork marking its restoration. That is the second B-1B within the final two years to have been restored again to service after being initially retired, and is coincidentally coming amid a brand new postponement of the kind’s retirement.
This airframe was initially stored in Kind 2000 storage at AMARG. It first arrived on the boneyard in 2021 after the retirement of 17 B-1Bs, meant to cut back operational prices and redirect funds in direction of the B-21 Raider.
Kind 2000 is a recallable storage, which retains the plane, lined with silicone-looking spraylat sealant to cowl gaps, engines, and glass, accessible as a supply of spare elements for the fleet or for a future regeneration to flying situation. Kind 2000 is only a degree under the flyable Kind 1000 storage.
A bomber retired to the Arizona desert is flying once more. ✈️✨
From stripped-down check flights to contemporary paint and ultimate launch, #TeamTinker maintainers, engineers and artisans proved as soon as once more why sustainment is fight energy.
Learn the complete story 👉 pic.twitter.com/cjQc0TOsZ9
— Tinker AFB (@Team_Tinker) Might 6, 2026
Restoration effort
Pictures on the DVIDS community posted on Might 6, 2026, present 86-0115 in a bare-metal configuration, fully stripped of its paint, at Tinker AFB on Feb. 26. At the moment, the bomber was present process taxi trials and a purposeful examine flight to validate its methods following depot upkeep.
Notably, on the identical day, the plane was additionally photographed from the bottom throughout its purposeful check flight. The plane was venting gasoline, probably as a part of the gasoline methods checks, with its naked metallic look making it an unusual sight.
Subsequent photographs taken on Apr. 15 and 20 present that the plane acquired its new paint, with a brand new tail flash making it the seventh Bomb Wing’s flagship. The BONE (from B-One, because the bomber is often nicknamed by the crews) lastly took off from Tinker AFB on Apr. 22, and headed to Dyess AFB, Texas, notably with its serial quantity obscured, probably for Operational Safety (OPSEC) causes.
The press launch by the 72nd Air Base Wing at Tinker AFB mentioned that over 200 Airmen and civilians from the 567th Plane Upkeep Squadron (567th AMXS) “labored prolonged shifts finishing system overhauls and structural repairs, changing greater than 500 elements.” This was adopted by the check flights by pilots from Tinker’s tenth Flight Check Squadron.
The service defined that, as soon as the bomber handed the check flights, it was licensed as Absolutely Mission Succesful and moved to the paint facility to finish the regeneration course of. “Three rotating groups labored across the clock to organize the plane for ultimate supply,” talked about the discharge.
567th AMXS grasp scheduler Steven Mooy credited the maintainers and technicians for the profitable restoration. “They overcome so many obstacles and work collectively to perform repairs that no one else within the bomber group may do,” mentioned Mooy.
The service additionally mentioned that “the regeneration effort comes because the Air Drive continues modernizing its bomber fleet whereas sustaining legacy platforms essential to present operations.” The B-1B’s retirement has been just lately postponed to at the least 2037, and the bomber fleet is on the middle of a modernization program which sees upgrades for the B-1 and B-52 Stratofortress and the introduction of the brand new B-21 Raider.
Different B-1Bs regenerated by the USAF
The U.S. Air Drive has already regenerated B-1B bombers from storage at AMARG up to now, with this being the second within the final two years. A significant case concerned serial quantity 85-0081 “Lancelot” that started the restoration effort in April 2024 to exchange 85-0089 of the seventh Bomb Wing, which skilled a catastrophic engine failure on April 20, 2022 at Dyess AFB.
Tinker AFB was additionally concerned within the restoration, since it’s the largest depot restore advanced within the Air Drive. That was the primary time in 20 years {that a} BONE was put again in service after being retired, following the retirement of 33 B-1s in 2003 and the return of seven of them to service the subsequent yr.
“Lancelot” was then adopted by 86-0115 “Rage,” which flew from the boneyard to Tinker AFB on July 2, 2024, to start the restoration. Retired in 2021, “Rage” was recalled to obligation to convey the fleet again to the Congressionally mandated 45 B-1Bs, and is now once more in service.
The U.S. Air Drive presently has 40 B-1B bombers in service, as per the 2026 World Air Forces report that counted figures till December 2025. The B-1B will stay the mainstay of the Air Drive’s long-range typical strategic strike platforms, delivering each standoff and direct assault munitions.
The newest improve for the bomber is the mixing of the AGM-183 Air-Launched Speedy Response Weapon (ARRW) hypersonic missile. It will assist maintain the bomber related till the arrival of the B-21 Raider, which is able to exchange each the “BONE” and the B-2 Spirit.
