I wonder how long it will be before they announce that it will be either flown remotely or, using AI, will be completely autonomous. I also question whether the Air Force will actually purchase all 100 planes. Since there was no mention of a price, I suspect budget constraints will cut that number way down.
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Another article I read quoted price as $2 billion each.
upgraded ICBM’s would be more likely to deter and cheaper.
Unless they can use SpaceX manufacturing ethos to make the much cheaper.
Sub-sonic, low manuverability, high heat signature.
So tell me again how these things are not sitting ducks?
The B-21 is significantly smaller and cheaper than the B-2, so the B-21 at least has a better shot than the B-2 did of making a full production run.
Reminds me of a squaddie joke during the Balkans “peacekeeping.” It told of how the new stealth bombers are so stealthy that no-one, not even the enemy, knows when they have been used…
I do not know what the operating altitude is but you would probably need to be above the plane to get much of a heat signature. The engines are buried in the fuselage and the exhaust is diffuse.
If the price is of concern, just wait for the Chinese version to come out.
John, it is designed to be flown remotely/autonomously.
It’s going to replace the B-1 and the B-2. Eventually.
I heard a report yesterday that quoted a price of $700 million each, but that may be an early project estimate, subject to frequent revision. As for the Chinese version, I suspect that this public unveiling is aimed at both the Russians and Chinese, saying “look what we got, don’t mess with us”.
Once again it appears we are planning to fight the last war, not the next one. One can only hope all this new technology fairs better than the F-22 which is now being retired because they cannot replace or repair the old now obsolete technology. We should be paying close attention to what is happening in Ukraine for clues of future battles. If it is necessary for our air force to fly deep into China or Russia, were are probably in a no holds barred war where nucs will be used and all the new aircraft that might survive will have no where to return to.
Who is the enemy we are aiming these at? Probably the helpless American tax payer who is still the ultimate hostage of the military-industrial complex.
If you don’t want a nuclear war, then keep prepared for a conventional war.
The US is planning to avoid a Ukraine situation by maintaining air superiority. The best way to do that is for your enemy to lose his air forces before the morning of the second day. This plane is part of that solution. It’s not a last war strategy.
I know asymmetric warfare has seemed to suck, but it’s still better than being in a grinder with a near peer.
What happened to military secrets? Now there’s a photo including some specifications.
Speaking of which, my RV-9A goes a 1000 miles with one fill up too.
Maybe it’s just a balsa mock-up to trick the “bad guys” into spending billions to try and match it.
Reading between the lines, it is strongly hinted that it could easily be turned into an unmanned bomber.