Zephyr Net

You can track a contrail by radar? Wow good stuff. Equivelent of a submarine cavitation stream I guess.

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Centurian

So.... Is this a definate thing? The B-2 will use these bays to carry additional weapons? These mini cruise missiles?

I don't know what 9 ft. long missiles in the inventory would be worthwhile putting in there. As far as I know this remains only a proposal.

Zephyr

I wonder how many SDBs it can carry in that little bay. Have the main bays carried a Bunker-Buster GBU-37 or EGBU-28 right. Drop that on the target and follow with an SDB. Bunker-Buster blasts open the bunker and the SDB finishes it off. This combination can be made with anything though I mean follow off with a GBU or a JDAM but imagine 4 Bunker Busters in the B-2 bay and then an additional what 8 GBU-39s? Drop two per target man that could do some damage.

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Centurian

Well, it would be good for GBU-38 carriage.. This mini JDAMs are half the length of the AIM-120 and have snap out wings for longer ranged glides to target...

They should fit... BUt the cost would be in dmodifications to the databus mux to support the electronics on the guidance units.

CAG out...

I doubt that these bays will be used to carry SEAD weapons. Opening the bay doors a few extra times while over enemy territory may be more dangerous than its worth. This is the same reason why the B-2 doesn't carry chaff or flare pods or conventional jammers. The extra protection does more harm than good.

Also, if a anti-radiation missile is launched, the rocket engine will be very visable and create a very large IR signature that will give away the aircraft's position. I believe that this is one of the reasons that stealth aircraft only use bombs, since they do not require rocket engines.

If anything, these bays will cary extra fuel tanks or mini-JDAMs.

Believe you me the B-2 carries flares, chaff, and has jamming systems. The AF is not so stupid as to remove them from an aircraft. Granted they aren't used they are there for emergencies. They learned that lesson once with taking out guns on aircraft and put them back in. They aren't going to remove chaff or ECM or flares. Fuel tanks are not needed. The B-2 has enough fuel and with inflight refueling it can get anywhere. Fuel tanks would barely hold enough to do much significance. ARMs would not be used as the B-2, although it can carry missiles, will not because you have to lower the missile into the airflow to fire it, especially an ARM like the AGM-88, so that's a no-no. Air to air missiles, well those aren't really needed and it would require lots of work to the electronics. I think, if anything they'd just mount a weapons rack and do minor electronics work for JDAMs. GBU-38s or GBU-39s.

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Centurian

The B-2 does carry jammers, but not the conventional kind. This type of jammer actually lowers the RCS by "actively canceling radar returns".

Neither the F-117A nor the B-2 carry chaff or flare pods. It would compramise stealth to have an extra opening on the aircraft. The F-117A does not carry a jammer.

the highest likelyhood is the the bays wont be used for anything. HARM has a seek mode wich requires no lock what-so-ever before launch, ALARM does too. They fly to a sector then search for RF in the selected freq range.

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Fighting for justice with brains of steel

Let your anger be like the monkey which hides inside the piniata.

I find it highly unlikely that the F-117 and the B-2 do not have chaff or flares. I just can't believe that because it's a stupid idea. They don't necessarily have to eject it conventionally you know.

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Centurian

I've seen multiple sources saying the F-117A has no jammers and no expendible decoys. Regarding the B-2A I have found no mention of expendibles, or even a jammer, just the "Lockheed Martin AN/APR-50 Defensive Management System (DMS)", which at the least detects, identifies, prioritizes, etc. enemy radar emissions.

Zephyr

It's classified. The actual data on what expendibles the B-1B has is classified as well. The USAF probably has some advanced chaff or flares that are deployed on the B-2 and F-117.

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Centurian

The b-2 doesnt have chaff or flare because that would require an extra opening in the aircraft. its more trouble than its worth. its a good idea.

btw, chaff and flare pods are the last thing that would be classified.

B-1B dispensers are directly over the front bay behind the cabin area. The ECM system may well be secret, and the actuall flare or chaff, but not the system, or the fact that it exists.

PLENTY of "holes" on the B-2 already, any of them could double as an expendables port, but not likely.

_________________
Fighting for justice with brains of steel

Let your anger be like the monkey which hides inside the piniata.

I hate to burst everyone's Bubbles... but several years ago at Carswell I went to the 'open house' airshow day and both the B-2 and the F-117 were there doing flying displays and BOTH dropped multiple flare loads...


The B-2 did a massive drop like a giant star cluster. I even have pics of it somewhere.

THe Nighthawk did individual flare drops, though at a fast rate...

CAG out...