B-21 Raider

[Azimuth]

Corrosion is going to take out the BUFF, much like it’s taking out the KC-135. You can dump all the money into newer avionics, engines, etc, but you’ll never beat time with regard to airframe age.

[SurelySerious]

31 minutes ago, Azimuth said:

Corrosion is going to take out the BUFF, much like it’s taking out the KC-135. You can dump all the money into newer avionics, engines, etc, but you’ll never beat time with regard to airframe age.

 

/s of course

[LookieRookie]

4 hours ago, Azimuth said:

Corrosion is going to take out the BUFF, much like it’s taking out the KC-135. You can dump all the money into newer avionics, engines, etc, but you’ll never beat time with regard to airframe age.

Ship of Theseus with SLEP

[SuperWSO]

4 hours ago, LookieRookie said:

Ship of Theseus with SLEP

Ok, I’ll admit I had to look that one up.  For those that don’t go to Wikipedia...

Theseus's paradox, is a thought experiment that raises the question of whether an object that has had all of its components replaced remains fundamentally ugly.

If you need a stand-off platform, just stop the weird skin and materials MX on the B-2. The RCS will still be better than the other bombers, it’s nuke capable, gets good gas mileage and is younger than some of the people who work on it.

Edited February 22, 2018 by SuperWSO

[08Dawg]

As much as I love the Buff...I can't believe at some point we did not opt for relatively off the shelf modded out 757 or something similiar to be a cruise missile truck.  The Navy kinda-sorta did it with turning a 737 into a P-8.  Why not us?

[ThreeHoler]

As much as I love the Buff...I can't believe at some point we did not opt for relatively off the shelf modded out 757 or something similiar to be a cruise missile truck.  The Navy kinda-sorta did it with turning a 737 into a P-8.  Why not us?

The Ghost of Curtis LeMay.

[Hodor]

Wasnt there a program in the 70s or 80s that had the 747 basically being a cruise missile dump truck? With a good launch system I wonder how many missiles a 747-8 can carry? Probably between a ton and shitload. 

Edit: Cant say the word Duck

Edited February 22, 2018 by Hodor

[Azimuth]

5 hours ago, 08Dawg said:

As much as I love the Buff...I can't believe at some point we did not opt for relatively off the shelf modded out 757 or something similiar to be a cruise missile truck.  The Navy kinda-sorta did it with turning a 737 into a P-8.  Why not us?

Wouldn’t you be unemployed then?

[Learjetter]

6 hours ago, ThreeHoler said:

 

The Ghost of Curtis LeMay.

 

Quoted for truth.  From what I heard people say in certain STRATCOM/bomber command meetings I would've sworn there were times He had a seat at the table.

 

Survivability = standoff > speed > stealth

The price of admission to A2AD requires all of the above + (s) x (c)2  

B-21 will be a formidable part of that equation...as will the BUFF that picks up the last B-21 crew after dropping off the last B-21 at AMARG.

 

Edited February 22, 2018 by Learjetter
Edit for verbiage

[Prosuper]

10 hours ago, 08Dawg said:

As much as I love the Buff...I can't believe at some point we did not opt for relatively off the shelf modded out 757 or something similiar to be a cruise missile truck.  The Navy kinda-sorta did it with turning a 737 into a P-8.  Why not us?

Not the first time that was thought of. 

[Prosuper]

On 2/21/2018 at 1:10 PM, Azimuth said:

Corrosion is going to take out the BUFF, much like it’s taking out the KC-135. You can dump all the money into newer avionics, engines, etc, but you’ll never beat time with regard to airframe age.

That's why God invented the CNC machine. I don't think there is much original sheetmetal or castings on a KC-135.

 

[Clark Griswold]

As much as I love the Buff...I can't believe at some point we did not opt for relatively off the shelf modded out 757 or something similiar to be a cruise missile truck.  The Navy kinda-sorta did it with turning a 737 into a P-8.  Why not us?

Too smart not complicated enough

[SuperWSO]

News update: B-21 is going to involve “complex trade-offs”.

None of this is surprising until you figure out they are building what the article says is a 2 engine jet with less thrust, range and payload. 

[SurelySerious]

30 minutes ago, SuperWSO said:

News update: B-21 is going to involve “complex trade-offs”.

None of this is surprising until you figure out they are building what the article says is a 2 engine jet with less thrust, range and payload. 

Inlet sizing is a big deal; that’s where Ben Rich initially made his money with Kelly Johnson on the U-2. 

But #notsurprised NG made a design/cost claim in bidding they hadn’t thought through and can’t back up. 

[ATIS]

13 hours ago, SurelySerious said:

But #notsurprised [insert company name here] made a design/cost claim in bidding they hadn’t thought through and can’t back up. 

SOP in the acquisition world.  Get your foot in the door and watch cost/schedule grow while performance goes down. 

ATIS

[Lawman]

News update: B-21 is going to involve “complex trade-offs”.
None of this is surprising until you figure out they are building what the article says is a 2 engine jet with less thrust, range and payload. 

So... 5th gen F-111F then?

[SuperWSO]

11 minutes ago, Lawman said:

 

So... 5th gen F-111F then?

 

Yes, but subsonic, internal carriage only, so less capable. 

[Lawman]

Yes, but subsonic, internal carriage only, so less capable. 

Go home Air Force... you’re drunk.

 

We shouldn’t really be surprised in the same military that thought the H-60 series of helicopter could replace and perform jobs done by significantly larger helicopters (SH-3, MH53, etc) and not lose anything in capability.

[Clark Griswold]

So... 5th gen F-111F then?

Or a longer legged FB-22... if this is going to be twin engines and lower range go ahead and make an LO KC-21 with probe and drogue or an MQ-25 Stingray AR wingman

[ThreeHoler]

Yes, but subsonic, internal carriage only, so less capable. 

For all those times the external hard points were used on the B-1 (excluding the pod)?

[SuperWSO]

5 hours ago, ThreeHoler said:

 

For all those times the external hard points were used on the B-1 (excluding the pod)?

 

Comparison was to the F-111. If it can carry 24x JASSM or JDAM internally, I’ll withdraw that statement.  If it is a 2 engine jet, it will probably carry less than the F-111.

[ThreeHoler]

Oops. Reading fail.

[Laxboarderchill]

On a related topic, has anyone heard back about this year's B-2 cross-flow results.  I applied back in December and haven't heard anything since.

[Clark Griswold]

Aussie B-21s?

https://www.forbes.com/sites/lorenthompson/2019/11/15/should-washington-sell-the-b-21-bomber-to-australia/#1a603c6134b0

https://www.aspistrategist.org.au/is-the-b-21-bomber-a-viable-option-for-australia/

 

[Disco_Nav963]

26 minutes ago, Clark Griswold said:

Aussie B-21s?

https://www.forbes.com/sites/lorenthompson/2019/11/15/should-washington-sell-the-b-21-bomber-to-australia/#1a603c6134b0

https://www.aspistrategist.org.au/is-the-b-21-bomber-a-viable-option-for-australia/

 

First question from skimming the article: Why did Australia have a beef with the Indonesians? 😂