Zephyr Net


Return to the Fighters Anthology Resource Center

Go to the VNFAWING.com Forums
It is currently Thu Mar 28, 2024 08:18 am

All times are UTC - 5 hours [ DST ]




Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 2 posts ] 
Author Message
PostPosted: Sat Oct 31, 2015 09:23 am 
Offline

Joined: Mon Oct 12, 2009 09:25 am
Posts: 544
23:56 29.10.2015 (updated 00:17 30.10.2015)

Image

Image

While the Pentagon has revealed that Northrop Grumman will develop the US military’s new Long Range Strike-Bomber, specifics of the project remain top secret. But experts have some ideas.

Earlier this week, the Pentagon ended months of speculation by announcing that Northrop Grumman would build the next-generation LSR-B. With an estimated budget in excess of $100 billion, the US Air Force wants 100 new warplanes to replace its aging fleet of B-1 and B-52s.

Tuesday’s announcement was, however, cagey about specifics. Military officials refused to even give details price estimates, instead providing estimated totals based on 2010 dollars.

But experts are already beginning to piece together what we can expect of the aircraft, based on existing technologies and the Pentagon’s stated expectations.

For one, a primary focus will be placed on stealth.

"It must be stealthy in all parts of the electromagnetic spectrum. It has to have electronic, on-board jamming equipment that would add to its stealth by preventing enemy sensors from working."

That would partially explain why the contract went to Northrop. While a joint team comprised of Boeing and Lockheed Martin was expected to land the deal, Northrop’s expertise in stealth technology could have pushed it over the edge.

Stealth will be necessary, since the new LSR-B probably won’t fly at supersonic speeds. According to aviation analyst Richard Aboulafia, doing so would decrease the plane’s range by wasting fuel. Range is critical, as Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James said the LSR-B would have "the capability to launch from the continental United States air strikes that would be able to strike any location in the world."

But slower speeds would make the bomber easy to spot, and vulnerable to ground fire. Powerful onboard jammers would then be critical to prevent detection over enemy territory.

Other specifics have been vaguely referenced by Pentagon officials. Tuesday’s announcement made note of a desired dual payload capability, allowing the new bomber to carry both conventional and nuclear weapons.

The Air Force has also expressed an interest in the aircraft having the option of flying without a manned crew.

A sophisticated electronic network will also mean that Northrop will have to focus on cybersecurity to ensure that the aircraft is hack-proof.

Other experts also point out that the US needs to avoid the embarrassing pitfalls of the F-35 debacle. Costing nearly $400 billion, the fighter jet has been riddled with technical problems, and the Pentagon’s own tests have shown that the F-35 is outperformed by both Russian and Chinese counterparts, and even older US aircraft.


Part of the problem was that the military continuously readjusted design specifications throughout the F-35’s development. Sticking to a cohesive plan could help the new LSR-B.

"The Air Force must resist these temptations if it wants to keep to its cost target."

During Tuesday’s press conference, Air Force General Mark Welsh hinted at something similar, by suggesting that "we’re designing the platform to be adaptable."

"This open architecture will help ensure competition throughout the life cycle of the program, and make it easier to modify the platform as technology advances and the threats evolve."

Of course, the F-35 was also designed with open architecture in mind.

More details on : http://sputniknews.com/us/20151029/1029310754/pentagon-strike-bomber-predictions.html


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Fri Nov 13, 2015 15:42 pm 
Offline
User avatar

Joined: Tue Mar 11, 2003 18:54 pm
Posts: 4402
This is out of date (as usual for your posts). The USAF issued a stop work order to Northrop due to a bid protest from Boeing and Lockmart...

The project is now up in the air until a ruling is made on the fairness of the competition.

http://aviationweek.com/defense/usaf-or ... work-lrs-b

Quote:
The U.S. Air Force has issued a stop-work order on the Long-Range Strike Bomber (LRS-B) to Northrop Grumman in accordance with standard procedures for contracts that undergo a protest. The stop-work order was sent Nov. 6, says Maj. Robert Leese, an Air Force spokesman. The order came the same day Boeing and Lockheed Martin, the losing bidders, filed their protest of the award with the Government Accountability Office. Northrop Grumman declined to say whether it would continue some work on the project.

_________________
Hotshot
"FAF Shape Meister"
FAF/FA-2 Design team
TSH Member/Developer
VNFAWING.com Forum Administrator

VNFAWING Forums
VNFAWING Website

FA Futures/FA-2 is Still Being Worked On and Will Be Released...


Top
 Profile  
 
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 2 posts ] 

All times are UTC - 5 hours [ DST ]


Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 8 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum

Search for:
Jump to:  
cron
Powered by phpBB® Forum Software © phpBB Group