likely the same answer as to why the SR-71 is discontinued - advances in satellite reconnaissance and UAV technology made it irrelevant. What advantage exactly

likely the same answer as to why the SR-71 is discontinued - advances in satellite reconnaissance and UAV technology made it irrelevant. What advantage exactly does a B-1B have over a cruise missile? What advantage does it have over some UAVs sent on an autonomous mission? Bearing in mind that you can easily fire off a couple dozen cruise missiles just for the airframe cost of a B-1 let alone the training, etc. A manned pilot is some better in some respects, but is it enough better to justify the additional cost, training, and the downsides that come along with a manned mission (political risk, etc)? For certain missions, the B-2 and the B-52 etc have their merits, and close-air-support with a UAV in non-permissive airspace seems like a bad idea. But by and large the trend has been and continues to be using unmanned and expendable platforms to replace a lot of roles. The B-1 doesn't do anything that a cruise missile really cannot replace.