B-1B 86-0115, now renamed “Apocalypse II”, previously returned to service at Dyess AFB after being decommissioned in 2021.
The U.S. Air Force announced May 6, 2026, that the rebuilt B-1B Lancer bomber has returned to service after a nearly two-year restoration effort that began in July 2024 at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma. This aircraft is serial number 86-0115, known as the “Rage,” and we wrote about it in July 2024 when it was pulled from storage at the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group (AMARG) at Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona, also known as the “Boneyard.”
The bomber rejoined the fleet on 22 April at Dice AFB, Texas, home to the 7th Bomb Wing (7BW) and its component the 28th Bomb Squadron (28BS), where it received a new name, “Apocalypse II”, and nose art commemorating its restoration. This is the second B-1B to return to service after initially being retired in the past two years, and coincidentally comes amid a new delay in the type’s retirement.
This aircraft was originally stored in AMARG’s Type 2000 depot. The first 17 B-1Bs arrived at the scrapyard in 2021 after being retired. This is intended to reduce operating costs and divert funds to the B-21 Raider.
The Type 2000 is a recoverable storage unit that covers aircraft with a silicone-like sprayrat sealant to cover the aircraft’s crevices, engines and glass and can be used as a source of spare parts for the aircraft or for reconditioning to future flying conditions. The Type 2000 is just below the flight-capable Type 1000 silo.
A retired bomber returns to the Arizona desert. ✈️✨
From stripped test flights to new paint and final launch; #teamtinker Maintainers, engineers, and craftsmen have proven once again why maintenance is a fighting force.
Read the full story 👉 https://t.co/vEWw9ahPdn pic.twitter.com/cjQc0TOsZ9
— Tinker AFB (@Team_Tinker) May 6, 2026
restoration efforts
An image from the DVIDS network posted May 6, 2026, shows 86-0115 in bare metal configuration with paint completely stripped at Tinker AFB on February 26. At the time, the bomber was undergoing taxi trials and functional check flights to verify post-depot maintenance systems.
In particular, the functional test flight of the aircraft on this day was also filmed from the ground. The aircraft was draining fuel, possibly as part of a fuel system overhaul, and its metallic appearance was unusual.
Subsequent images taken on 15 and 20 April showed the aircraft receiving new paint and new tail flashes, making it the flagship of the 7th Bomb Wing. BONE (B-One, as the bomber was commonly nicknamed by its crew) finally took off from Tinker AFB on April 22, bound for Dyess AFB, Texas. In particular, the serial number had been obscured for operational security (OPSEC) reasons.
More than 200 Airmen and civilians from the 567th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron (567 AMXS) “worked extended shifts, completing system checks and structural repairs and replacing more than 500 parts,” according to a press release from the 72nd Air Base Wing at Tinker AFB. Pilots from Tinker’s 10th Flight Test Squadron then conducted test flights.
The Air Force explained that once the bomber passed the test flight, it was certified as fully mission capable and moved to a paint facility to complete the rebuild process. “Three rotating teams worked around the clock to prepare the aircraft for final delivery,” the press release said.
Steven Mooy, 567th AMXS master scheduler, thanked maintenance crews and technicians for the successful restoration. “They overcame so many obstacles and worked together to perform repairs that no one else in the bomber community could do,” Mooy said.
The Air Force also stated that “regeneration efforts are taking place as the Air Force continues to modernize its bomber fleet while maintaining legacy platforms critical to current operations.” The retirement of the B-1B was recently postponed until at least 2037, and the bomber fleet is at the center of a modernization program that will see upgrades to the B-1 and B-52 Stratofortress and the introduction of the new B-21 Raider.
Other B-1Bs rebuilt by the USAF
The U.S. Air Force has already rebuilt B-1B bombers in former AMARG warehouses, and this is the second time in the past two years. Highlights included serial number 85-0081 “Lancelot”, which began restoration in April 2024 to replace 85-0089 of the 7th bomb wing, which suffered a catastrophic engine failure at Dyess AFB on April 20, 2022;
Tinker AFB also participated in the restoration, as it is the largest depot repair complex in the Air Force. This was the first time in 20 years that a BONE had been returned to service after being retired, following the retirement of 33 B-1s in 2003 and the return of seven of them the following year.
Following “Lancelot”, 86-0115 “Rage” flew from Boneyard to Tinker AFB on 2 July 2024 to begin restoration. Decommissioned in 2021, “Rage” was recalled to the task of bringing the fleet back to the 45 B-1Bs mandated by Congress and is now back in service.
The U.S. Air Force currently operates 40 B-1B bombers, according to the 2026 World Air Forces report, which calculates the numbers through December 2025. The B-1B will remain the centerpiece of the Air Force’s long-range conventional strategic strike platform, providing both standoff and direct attack munitions.
The bomber’s latest upgrade is the integration of the AGM-183 ARRW (Air Launched Rapid Response Weapon) hypersonic missile. This will help keep the bomber relevant until the arrival of the B-21 Raider, which will replace both the “BONE” and the B-2 Spirit.
