USAF New Bomber

The new bomber which is expected in 2018 is expected to be an interim solution until the 2035 timeframe when something will be needed to replace the B-2s, remaining B-1s, and finally the B-52s. The USAF needs something that can hit time sensitive targets that are far away from any base. So far the FB-22 and B-1R appear to be contenders. The FB-22 appears to have the stealth but lacks the range. The B-1R is a modification of the B-1 that would sacrifice range for incrased speed (would also probably have to be stealthy). If those are the only two options, then I prefer the B-1R. It is much easier to take a bomber and refine it then to turn a fighter into a bomber which results in a strike fighter. Which although tend to perform well in their combat role, they are not bombers. Either way this will be an interim bomber what will be really amazing to see will be what comes out as replacment for the B-2 in the 2030s. (Hypersonics maybe

And probably unmanned too...

Question, if that's the case, why even bother making a bomber? Why not just continue to refine ICBM MIRV tech?

dioditto said:

And probably unmanned too...

Question, if that's the case, why even bother making a bomber? Why not just continue to refine ICBM MIRV tech?

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The risk of throwing around conventional ICBMs is too great - too easy to mistake it for a nuclear strike.

JasonSkald said:

The risk of throwing around conventional ICBMs is too great - too easy to mistake it for a nuclear strike.

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I thought we are talking about the next version of B2 here, B2 is too expensive to be used for ANYTHING ELSE other than to deliver nukes now. So...consequently, if B2 is detected, would it would be equate to ICBM?

dioditto said:

B2 is too expensive to be used for ANYTHING ELSE other than to deliver nukes now.

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Not exactly true - there are some new emerging roles for the B2. Its not just a nuclear strike weapon.

dioditto said:

I thought we are talking about the next version of B2 here, B2 is too expensive to be used for ANYTHING ELSE other than to deliver nukes now. So...consequently, if B2 is detected, would it would be equate to ICBM?

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How about the Small Diameter Bombs currently being integrated onto the B2? I'm pretty sure it will have a conventional warhead and "conventional" standoff ranges.

Of course the B2 will "only" carry around 160 of them, but they could never use THAT could they???

Aussie Digger said:

How about the Small Diameter Bombs currently being integrated onto the B2? I'm pretty sure it will have a conventional warhead and "conventional" standoff ranges.

Of course the B2 will "only" carry around 160 of them, but they could never use THAT could they???

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There's also the new wild card of HAAWC. Its platform sensor independant - so in a FORCEnet scenario, the B2 could become a very potent and persistent adjunct to any ASW forces in the area....

all of the new weapons packages are moving towards platform sensor independance - and that changes the whole ballgame in a number of critical areas.

FB-22 completely out because of high cost (for the size), light payload, and small range as a strategic bomber. The current design work by Northrop is to design a high speed (possibly hyper sonic) quite bomber to strike any target in the world in at least 2 hours.

Now what does this aircraft sound a lot like? May be the mysterious Aurora? I personally think so. I think the 2018 date is when they will finally bring to public light the "Aurora" like aircraft they have been developing for the past 20 years.

FB-22 completely out because of high cost (for the size), light payload, and small range as a strategic bomber. The current design work by Northrop is to design a high speed (possibly hyper sonic) quite bomber to strike any target in the world in at least 2 hours.

Now what does this aircraft sound a lot like? May be the mysterious Aurora? I personally think so. I think the 2018 date is when they will finally bring to public light the "Aurora" like aircraft they have been developing for the past 20 years.

But would the aurora be practical in that many years. What would we use it on? By that time wouldnt planes be unmmaned. I think we should prepare ourselves for the problems of the future not problems of the past. The cold war is over. I believe a more efficent ground attack air crafts are needed. I would spend more money on UAVs

LancerMc said:

FB-22 completely out because of high cost (for the size), light payload, and small range as a strategic bomber. The current design work by Northrop is to design a high speed (possibly hyper sonic) quite bomber to strike any target in the world in at least 2 hours.

Now what does this aircraft sound a lot like? May be the mysterious Aurora? I personally think so. I think the 2018 date is when they will finally bring to public light the "Aurora" like aircraft they have been developing for the past 20 years.

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I think the hypersonic bomber is expected in the 2030s. This bomber is an interim bomber and is not expected to be a huge leap in technology, so it might be a little early to expect hypersonics.

As for Aurora, my best guess is that its a test bed for some advanced propulsion system, not the next generation bomber.

zoolander said:

But would the aurora be practical in that many years. What would we use it on? By that time wouldnt planes be unmmaned. I think we should prepare ourselves for the problems of the future not problems of the past. The cold war is over. I believe a more efficent ground attack air crafts are needed. I would spend more money on UAVs

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They also said that in the sixties. "There may be no point in joining the airfiorce unless you want to be sat in a concrete bunker twiddling knobs on a radar set." (quoted from an enthusiast book from the mid-sixties). I doubt it'll ever be possible to have a fully unmanned airforce in a conflict against an equally advanced power (yes I know the US is pretty much unchallengeable right now but that's subject to change) unless we somehow figure out FTL communication that isn't affected by things like the earth's mass being in the way*.

*Ok so this may be possible, what do I know? Current communications technology could not however run an aircraft in an intense combat situation if only because of communications lag AFAIK.