Air Force Wants A Bomber That Balances Cost With Capability

[Sparkplug]

B-21 Taking Shape, Though RCO Hedges on First Flight Date

http://airforcemag.com/Features/Pages/2019/October%202019/B-21-Taking-Shape-Though-RCO-Hedges-on-First-Flight-Date.aspx

[Sparkplug]

B-21 on Schedule, Edwards to Reactivate Test Squadron for the Raider

http://www.airforcemag.com/Features/Pages/2019/September%202019/B-21-on-Schedule-Edwards-to-Reactivate-Test-Squadron-for-the-Raider.aspx


Staff illustration by Mike Tsukamoto.

[Sparkplug]

Northrop Grumman Expands Plant 42 as B-21 Continues Development

http://airforcemag.com/Features/Pages/2019/August%202019/Northrop-Grumman-Expands-Plant-42-as-B-21-Continues-Development.aspx

[Sparkplug]

B-21 to Fly in December 2021; More B-52s to Come Out of Boneyard

http://airforcemag.com/Features/Pages/2019/July%202019/B-21-to-Fly-in-December-2021-More-B-52s-to-Come-Out-of-Boneyard.aspx

[jurrien visser (JuVi op Twitter)]

The New B-21 Stealth Bomber: Flying Much Sooner Than Expected?

https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/new-b-21-stealth-bomber-flying-much-sooner-expected-51172

[Sparkplug]

Air Force announces Ellsworth AFB as first B-21 base

https://www.spangdahlem.af.mil/News/Article/1797946/air-force-announces-ellsworth-afb-as-first-b-21-base/

[Harald]

Northrop Grumman to offer AN/APG-83 for B-52 radar upgrade program

https://news.northropgrumman.com/news/releases/northrop-grumman-scalable-agile-beam-radar-provides-proven-capability-for-multiple-platforms

[Harald]

Rolls-Royce Will Build F130 in Indianapolis If It Wins B-52 Re-Engining

Rolls-Royce has officially selected the F130, a variant of the commercial BR700, as its entrant in the B-52 re-engining competition, and will build the powerplant at its freshly renovated Indianapolis, Ind., facility if it wins the contract, company Vice President for Military Strategic Systems John Kusnierek told reporters during a telecon Monday.

Rolls said it has invested $600 million over the last few years in its Indianapolis plant, and Kusnierek said the upgrades were designed for "this-sized engine." The company anticipates it will hire 150 additional engineering, manufacturing, and program management workers in Indianapolis if it wins the B-52 re-engining contest. The facility has new digital design capabilities, as well as improved "efficiency and capacity," which Kusnierek said will be important for the competition.

Air Force acquisition chief Will Roper said last September he anticipates a "digital flyoff" among competing engines for the B-52 work.

Indianapolis is the site of Rolls' "Liberty Works" advanced development shop, and the company said it has invested $1 billion in Research and development in the last six years. 

Kusnierek said the F130—also flying on USAF's E-11 BACN and C-37—will undergo final assembly, test, and integration in Indianapolis, but declined to discuss the specific amount of US part content, saying only there is "variety" in the F130 supply chain. The F130 will be an "American" engine, he asserted.

General Electric and Pratt & Whitney also are expected to offer engines for the B-52 program. The fiscal year 2020 defense budget request is expected to offer details on the timeline of the B-52 re-engining program. 

The B-52 work "fits perfectly with our plans" for Indianapolis, Kusnierek asserted, and the F130, given its 17,000 pounds of thrust and physical size, is a "perfect fit" for the venerable bomber. The company also produces engines for the C-130J transport, CV-22 Osprey, and Global Hawk remotely piloted aircraft at the Indianapolis facility. Rolls has previously said it would likely offer the F130 for the B-52 contest.

The Air Force is seeking a commercial, off-the-shelf replacement for the Pratt & Whitney TF33 engine, which was original equipment on the eight-engined B-52H, the last of which was built in 1962. The service seeks a one-for-one replacement of the TF33, with new powerplants clustered in four two-engine nacelles per jet. For its fleet of 76 B-52s, the Air Force needs over 600 engines, plus some spares. Rolls pegged the requirement at 650 engines.

Rolls noted that it has amassed 22 million flight hours on the BR700 series, and "over 200,000 combat hours" with the F130 in USAF service. Rolls said it employs 6,000 people in the US, and indirectly supports 52,000 jobs in 27 states.

http://www.airforcemag.com/Features/Pages/2019/February%202019/Rolls-Royce-Will-Build-F130-in-Indianapolis-if-it-wins-B-52-Re-Engining.aspx

[jurrien visser (JuVi op Twitter)]

Retired General Says F-22 Production Was Killed So That A New Bomber Could Live

Other revelations include the Next Generation Bomber was to be armed with air-to-air missiles and the B-21 is indeed one part of a family of systems.

http://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/20472/retired-general-says-f-22-production-was-killed-so-that-a-new-bomber-could-live

[Thomasen]

B52 blijft ook maar steady gaan. Op naar de 100.
Het  is te hopen  dat de B21 zijn beloftes waar maakt. Het huidige inventory is problematisch, zeker de kosten van de B1/B2 drukken zwaar op de begroting, reden ook dat ze eruit gaan denk ik.

Betekend ook dat de upgrade van de B52 hier nauw mee gaat samenhangen. En die is voor zover ik begreep juist teruggeschroefd. dwz, alleen de noodzakelijke systemen en motoren worden aangepakt.

[Sparkplug]

USAF plans to consolidate bomber fleet to B-21 and B-52

FlightGlobal

[jurrien visser (JuVi op Twitter)]

Analysis: Weapons & Tech for New Air Force B-21 Stealth Bomber

https://scout.com/military/warrior/Article/Analysis-Weapons-Tech-for-New-Air-Force-B-21-Stealth-Bomber-109629445

[Thomasen]

Ook maar eens zien waar ze daadwerkelijk mee op de proppen komen.
Als het een goed ontwerp is kan het de hele vloot vervangen, en dan zal het een behoorlijk hoog getal kunnen worden.

[jurrien visser (JuVi op Twitter)]

Officials: the 'Right' Number of B-21 Stealth Bombers Is 165

https://www.dodbuzz.com/2017/05/25/officials-the-right-number-of-b-21-stealth-bombers-is-165/#.WSfB0iczt70.twitter

[Sparkplug]

Air Force Unveils Name of Future Stealth Bomber as B-21 'Raider'

http://www.military.com/daily-news/2016/09/19/air-force-unveils-name-of-future-b21-bomber-as-tk.html?ESRC=todayinmil.sm

Beter Raider dan Nuts of Snicker 

Om bij oude Northrop namen te blijven, had ik voor Black Widow (Northrop P-61) gekozen.