US Air Force awards $23.5 M to overhaul B‑1B sensors and seeks $146.9 M
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The U.S. Air Force awarded a contract worth up to $23.5 million to Thomas Instrument to overhaul critical control‑surface sensors for the B‑1B Lancer fleet through September 2031, with the company manufacturing the components at its Texas facility while the Air Force Sustainment Center at Tinker AFB, Oklahoma, oversees logistics.
The FY 2027 budget request for in‑service B‑1B modifications is $146.9 million, double the $73.9 million requested in FY 2026, and the service plans to extend the aircraft’s operational life to at least 2037; the B‑1B fleet has fallen below 5,000 total aircraft, the lowest level since World War II, and the contract value is a maximum spending ceiling with no dollars legally obligated at announcement.