21 minutes ago, TEW said:

 

 

 

 

On 11/10/2023 at 3:38 PM, TEW said:

 

Putting the world on notice.

21 minutes ago, EagleFan85 said:

Putting the world on notice.

Yeah, this is a pretty big deal. So far it is basically perfectly on time and on budget. 6 already in production, with a total of about 100 expected to be bought.

Obviously this is a counter to China more than anything, so we can’t get them soon enough as a deterrent to a Taiwan invasion.

I watched a sandboxx video on this development and they reported that the new Ford class Aircraft carriers are going to have remote piloting modules for the B-21 on board. Supposedly the USS Ford already has one, but they can’t confirm it. Kind of weird to have a cross between the Navy and Air Force like that, but I guess there must be some advantage to have the pilot closer to where the plane would operate.

2 hours ago, TEW said:

Yeah, this is a pretty big deal. So far it is basically perfectly on time and on budget. 6 already in production, with a total of about 100 expected to be bought.

Obviously this is a counter to China more than anything, so we can’t get them soon enough as a deterrent to a Taiwan invasion.

I watched a sandboxx video on this development and they reported that the new Ford class Aircraft carriers are going to have remote piloting modules for the B-21 on board. Supposedly the USS Ford already has one, but they can’t confirm it. Kind of weird to have a cross between the Navy and Air Force like that, but I guess there must be some advantage to have the pilot closer to where the plane would operate.

Shorten the distance for wireless signals to travel.

So whats it do that we couldnt do already?

1 hour ago, ToastJenkins said:

So whats it do that we couldnt do already?

My understanding is that it combines a lot of things:

1) Probably the biggest is upkeep/maintenance. Much cheaper to operate than the B-2, much more durable radar absorbing material, faster turnaround in man hours for maintenance.

2) Next gen stealth makes it the hardest aircraft to detect, track and target that has ever flown.

3) electronic warfare and surveillance. It’s basically a spy plane in addition to being a bomber.

4) It can be remote piloted so on dangerous missions we don’t put pilots in harms way.

5) We are going to get ~100 of them, instead of the 20 B-2’s we have. So we will have a robust stealth strategic bomber force. 

 

On 11/11/2023 at 8:47 PM, ToastJenkins said:

So whats it do that we couldnt do already?

The oldest B-2 in operational service was delivered to the USAF 34 years ago in 1989, initially as a test jet.  The newest was delivered 26 years ago in 1997.  Simply by being a new airframe the B-21 is better.  Additionally, the sustainability of a fleet of 21 aircraft, where the suppliers of spare parts drop like flies due to the small numbers involved, can only be appreciated by applying Munson's economy of scale.  Finally, once the B-1 and B-2 are retired the other part of the strategic bomber force will be B-52Hs, the last of which was delivered in 1962.

15 minutes ago, Mlodj said:

The oldest B-2 in operational service was delivered to the USAF 34 years ago in 1989, initially as a test jet.  The newest was delivered 26 years ago in 1997.  Simply by being a new airframe the B-21 is better.  Additionally, the sustainability of a fleet of 21 aircraft, where the suppliers of spare parts drop like flies due to the small numbers involved, can only be appreciated by applying Munson's economy of scale.  Finally, once the B-1 and B-2 are retired the other part of the strategic bomber force will be B-52Hs, the last of which was delivered in 1962.

Good ish

but from a practical standpoint how often are we using bombers of this scale? Are they even relevant to modern warfare?

Just now, ToastJenkins said:

Good ish

but from a practical standpoint how often are we using bombers of this scale? Are they even relevant to modern warfare?

Some of the best CAS in the GWOT following 9/11 was done by the heavy bomber force which could stay on station for hours while carrying an ungodly number of bombs.  In a modern war against a near peer competitor they could be cruise missile trucks (B-52) or penetrate a modern IADS (B-21).  And if it came to "nukeler combat toe to toe with the Russkies" somebody has to make the rubble even more radioactive.

 

 

IIRC some of the first airstrikes in Afghanistan were done by B-2’s. 
 

it’s one of those things were the more you build the cheaper they can get in the long run. Plus after OIF and GWOT a lot of hours were put on airframes. 

5 minutes ago, Bill said:

 

 

I would have gladly traded the survival kit I flew with for this...

 

 

2 hours ago, Mlodj said:

I would have gladly traded the survival kit I flew with for this...

 

 

I love how Kubrick conned Slim Pickens into thinking it was a serious drama and got the usable takes by having him really ham it up for a "practice take”. 

9 hours ago, Bill said:

Plus after OIF and GWOT a lot of hours were put on airframes. 

And that was preceded by ten years of Northern and Southern Watch.  In the early 2000s the USAF found that the average F-15C was carrying an extra 100 pounds of weight, consisting of sand they had picked up during those operations.

Having worked with the NG folks, I have to wonder about their products. I have seen some insane stuff from their people.

10 hours ago, Toastrel said:

Having worked with the NG folks, I have to wonder about their products. I have seen some insane stuff from their people.

Insane as in positive impression, or negative impression?

13 hours ago, TEW said:

Insane as in positive impression, or negative impression?

Utterly negative.

Not the B-21, but this should excite all the military aviation enthusiasts in here. Really great reporting on the SR-72 Son of Blackbird project:

For anyone who doesn’t want to watch the 30 minute video, bottom line is it seems very likely we have a reconnaissance aircraft that has the capability to carry conventional and possibly nuclear payloads which flies somewhere between Mach 6 and Mach 10. Full operational deployment should come around 2030.

Truly game changing technology!

My buddy was out by Pittsburgh for work and saw this in the sky.... 

B2 midair refueling