Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider (LRS-B)

Ideally not from Starlink or anything truly orbital. The role of tactical datalink for targeting should be passed to suborbital pseudo satellites such as those in VLEO.
 

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TomcatViP said:
Ideally not from Starlink or anything truly orbital. The role of tactical datalink for targeting should be passed to suborbital pseudo satellites such as those in VLEO.
Click to expand...

The new SDA constellation is supposed to handle most every radio format from LEO, even L band Link16. I do not see a reason why weapons should not receive updates from orbit, though I would want work arounds for a graceful degradation as well.
 
Regarding B-21 radar: I suspect it tends to get used more as a spotlight for generating more information about a target of interest. Focus beams that can provide range, NCTR, SAR, ISAR, TMI, etc based on the target type/location to collect more data. There probably is an A2A scan mode but I doubt it is envisaged as a normal use for the radar. And as noted, the emitters are also ECM inside their frequency range. It would not surprise me if the diamond tail had a third, or even forth, installation for 360 degree coverage.
 
@Josh_TN : If all parties can come around some kind of agreement that targeting is not part of fully orbital constellation, that would render the space debris Armageddon more livable.
ISR from Space is widely accepted today. But in some time, it will be more easier for some nations to go after the satellites than the vectors to defeat a strike, even temporarily.
 
TomcatViP said:
@Josh_TN : If all parties can come around some kind of agreement that targeting is not part of fully orbital constellation, that would render the space debris Armageddon more livable.
ISR from Space is widely accepted today. But in some time, it will be more easier for some nations to go after the satellites than the vectors.
Click to expand...

The SDA constellation Incr 1 is going to be 126 satellites for communications. The entire ~170 group is to be launched in ten F9s next year. Similar numbers for Inc2 in 2026-2027. NRO has put up 60+ satellites in three launches this year with three more planned. We have reached the point where the satellites are likely cheaper than any practical ground to orbit KE weapon. Though a nuclear detonation in orbit would likely trash most everything in LEO without a military level of hardening.
 
Just what I originally thought when the B-2 first appeared back in 1989 dark sidius. At that time it was futuristic, same can be said of the B-21 now.
 

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