Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider (LRS-B)

[sferrin]

Defense essential and last to go - instead of enabling economic activity to generate money to pay for anything at all? Infrastructure rings a bell?

This should not come as a surprise. Defense is a priority for many reasons (making sure schedules are met, ensuring the supply chain doesn't fall apart, etc.). As for "enabling economic activity" that's what the $2.5 billion Bill is for. Getting people back to work ASAP will help.

 

[bring_it_on]

Not sure whether this impacts the B-21 schedule but it wouldn't be surprising if the program has some impact.

DOD expects three-month COVID-19 delay across all programs; needs 'billions and billions' to reimburse contractors

Pentagon acquisition chief Ellen Lord said today the COVID-19 outbreak will delay all major programs by about three months and require Congress to supplement the Defense Department with "billions and billions" of dollars to reimburse contractors experiencing virus-related challenges. "It will cost us something," she told reporters during a Pentagon press conference, though she declined to provide specifics as the funding request is being crafted by the White House Office of Management and Budget. Lord said the department hopes the...

 

[zebra159357]

EDIT: The video got taken down for some reason..

 

[Sundog]

The only thing I can figure is the silhouette was probably accurate, which would make it relatively easy to calculate it's capabilities.

 

[Flyaway]

The only thing I can figure is the silhouette was probably accurate, which would make it relatively easy to calculate it's capabilities.

Bit late for that now as I am guessing interested parties would have already seen it.

 

[overscan (PaulMM)]

So who saved a copy?

 

[sferrin]

So who saved a copy?

What was the name of the video?

 

[zebra159357]

So who saved a copy?

What was the name of the video?

The name of the video was "The Value of Long-Range Strike".

Some shots from the video that I found:

 

[bring_it_on]

 

[Forest Green]

Or, wait 'til you don't see what's next.

P.S. Fire the person who put two Ls in 'til.

 

[Arjen]

That would include the people with the Cambridge Dictionary and Merriam-Webster

Until

Until - English Grammar Today - a reference to written and spoken English grammar and usage - Cambridge Dictionary

dictionary.cambridge.org

Until, till, 'til, or 'till?

Or should you give up and find another word?

www.merriam-webster.com

 

[sferrin]

That would include the people with the Cambridge Dictionary and Merriam-Webster

Until

Until - English Grammar Today - a reference to written and spoken English grammar and usage - Cambridge Dictionary

dictionary.cambridge.org

Until, till, 'til, or 'till?

Or should you give up and find another word?

www.merriam-webster.com

Huh. Didn't know "till" was even word (other than the noun or verb). Always use, "until" or "'til".

 

[Forest Green]

That would include the people with the Cambridge Dictionary and Merriam-Webster

Until

Until - English Grammar Today - a reference to written and spoken English grammar and usage - Cambridge Dictionary

dictionary.cambridge.org

Until, till, 'til, or 'till?

Or should you give up and find another word?

www.merriam-webster.com

Fair enough. I always assumed it was an abbreviation too. Kind of weird having two words look like a long and abbreviated version of each to mean the same thing. Language is weird, 'pigeon' used to have a 'd' in it until the start of the 19th century.

 

[TomcatViP]

Roper’s post on LinkedIn [...] : The “USAF innovation hasn't missed a beat during COVID-19. Our B-21 team just ran containerized software with Kubernetes on flight-ready hardware! Another step towards ‘DevStar’: our initiative to bring radical autonomy to software development, partnering with Northrop Grumman.”

New Air Force B-21 stealth bomber takes key technology step toward war readiness

The new stealth U.S. Air Force B-21 bomber has taken yet another key technological step toward being ready for war, through integrated computer automation designed to streamline information, improve targeting and offer pilots organized warzone information in real-time.

www.foxnews.com

 

[TomcatViP]

I put it there as I have a hunch that this is related to visual stealth (counter sensors) for the Raider*:

Stealthy 'Son Of Ares' Jet Seen Covered In Mirrors During Mysterious Test Flights

The alien-looking aircraft and its twin are being used for intriguing trials involving a number of other aircraft high above the Mojave Desert.

www.thedrive.com

* IMOHO they are assessing different solutions (pannels design, coating etc...).

 

[zebra159357]

1h long "Long Range Strike" talk, enjoy.

 

[jsport]

Looking at the Mitchell Institute report, there is definitely room for a FB-XX class bomber in the future. Something which brings payload at range but has numbers.

Bombers for Maritime Strike: an Asymmetric Counter to China's Navy - Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies

ARLINGTON, VA | February 27, 2019 — The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies is pleased to announce the newest installment in its Mitchell Institute Policy Papers series, Bombers for Maritime Strike: An Asymmetric Counter to China’s Navy, by Mitchell’s Dean, Lt Gen David A. Deptula, USAF...

www.mitchellaerospacepower.org

 

[In_A_Dream]

Looking at the Mitchell Institute report, there is definitely room for a FB-XX class bomber in the future. Something which brings payload at range but has numbers.

Bombers for Maritime Strike: an Asymmetric Counter to China's Navy - Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies

ARLINGTON, VA | February 27, 2019 — The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies is pleased to announce the newest installment in its Mitchell Institute Policy Papers series, Bombers for Maritime Strike: An Asymmetric Counter to China’s Navy, by Mitchell’s Dean, Lt Gen David A. Deptula, USAF...

www.mitchellaerospacepower.org

I'd like to think that a FB-XX already exists somewhere in low numbers, mostly because China's been pushing to develop a tactical bomber and they've been keen on mimicking US Airpower.

 

[donnage99]

I'd like to think that a FB-XX already exists somewhere in low numbers, mostly because China's been pushing to develop a tactical bomber and they've been keen on mimicking US Airpower.

China, or any country, has a unique military need, which is denial of access to american global military reach, and able to regionally bring to the fight to taiwan, japan and korea 1st day of war. Everything is built for and around that doctrine. Whatever similar is due to the fact that that particular set of needs between the 2 countries are similar and that the US tried it successfully, why reinvent the wheel. Additionally, there's absolutely no reason to classify a tactical bomber fleet but not the strategic one. A regional bomber would be in large number due to the multiple theaters america engages in, so I doubt if one exist, it's gonna be any small number.

 

[NeilChapman]

1h long "Long Range Strike" talk, enjoy.

I sure hope these procurement numbers are low estimates.

 

[quellish]

Probably just testing IR coatings rather than visual signature reduction.

 

[Josh_TN]

Probably just testing IR coatings rather than visual signature reduction.

There has been some speculation that perhaps a laser is being tested and that an optionally manned mirrored target would be the most cost effective way of testing that. But IR coating test seems most likely.

 

[flateric]

There has been some speculation that perhaps a laser is being tested and that an optionally manned mirrored target would be the most cost effective way of testing that.

Lold

 

[Grey Havoc]

House slides money into B-21 bomber procurement account

What does a movement of funds from development to advanced procurement mean for the secretive B-21 Raider?

www.defensenews.com

 

[Josh_TN]

That would be some really good news if the program seemed successfully mature that even token amounts of funds were moved to production. I don't track the finances of projects at different stages of their development well, but I suspect there are people here that do. That step seems...a little unprecedented in the modern age of US defense programs. Is this just some accounting slay of hand that typically happens?

 

[_Del_]

Probably helps getting subs lined up. Particularly those smaller ones who might be stressed right now. If you have small subs feeling the crunch right now, then it's better to start getting money for lead items now rather than wait and have one or more go under and then have to line up a new plan on the fly and face potential delays.
Hope springs eternal that maybe they'll be ahead of track, but I think it's probably more risk-avoidance.

 

[TomcatViP]

“I am thoroughly impressed by the dedication and progress across the B-21 Raider team.” ( Secretary of Defense Dr. Mark Esper)
[...]
“We’re excited to get the B-21 Raider to bases in the mid-2020s. The progress I saw today further adds to my confidence that the B-21 Raider will preserve our long range strike and penetrating bomber capability,” Gen. Timothy Ray, commander of Air Force Global Strike Command and Air Forces Strategic-Air, U.S. said

SecDef visits B-21 facilities in Florida

Secretary of Defense Dr. Mark Esper, visited the B-21 Raider design and development headquarters at Northrop Grumman, to witness the progress being made on the nation’s most cutting edge dual-capable

www.af.mil

 

[FighterJock]

“I am thoroughly impressed by the dedication and progress across the B-21 Raider team.” ( Secretary of Defense Dr. Mark Esper)
[...]
“We’re excited to get the B-21 Raider to bases in the mid-2020s. The progress I saw today further adds to my confidence that the B-21 Raider will preserve our long range strike and penetrating bomber capability,” Gen. Timothy Ray, commander of Air Force Global Strike Command and Air Forces Strategic-Air, U.S. said

SecDef visits B-21 facilities in Florida

Secretary of Defense Dr. Mark Esper, visited the B-21 Raider design and development headquarters at Northrop Grumman, to witness the progress being made on the nation’s most cutting edge dual-capable

www.af.mil

Good news for the B-21 Raider, to get praise like that so early on especially from the commander of the Air Force Global Strike Command the eventual end users of the Raider will help move the program forward.

 

[Foo Fighter]

I hope they do, I have a feeling they will be needed.

 

[Deleted member 18851]

B-21 Raider Stealth Bomber Is "Starting To Look Like An Airplane"

The Air Force has said that it is aiming for the prototype to take its first flight in December 2021, but that this milestone could be delayed.

www.thedrive.com

 

[FighterJock]

B-21 Raider Stealth Bomber Is "Starting To Look Like An Airplane"

The Air Force has said that it is aiming for the prototype to take its first flight in December 2021, but that this milestone could be delayed.

www.thedrive.com

First flight of the B-21 December 2021, let’s hope that nothing happens to the B-21 schedule between now and then.

 

[Bhurki]

B-21 Raider Stealth Bomber Is "Starting To Look Like An Airplane"

The Air Force has said that it is aiming for the prototype to take its first flight in December 2021, but that this milestone could be delayed.

www.thedrive.com

First flight of the B-21 December 2021, let’s hope that nothing happens to the B-21 schedule between now and then.

Should probably get a glimpse of it in about a year while it conducts ground runs and other tests in the open.

 

[Deleted member 18851]

I’m still trying to figure out what’s the most probable the exhaust setup, maybe similar to the trailing slots on the f-117?

 

[flateric]

Unlikely. Something like...

 

[Deleted member 18851]

Unlikely. Something like...

I guess the exact geometry is what they are trying to keep secret with leaving the exhaust out of any images released to the media then, It’s amazing what can be gleaned from a simple rendering.

 

[Josh_TN]

I'm pretty sure no one is actually allowed to closely photograph a B-2 til this day. There are definitely shots from the rear quarter in the air mind you, but I think close pictures on the ground are still...discouraged.

As to the overall shape, its pretty clear in the B-2 and B-21 that it will reflect significantly in four quadrants and that all of the lines and shapes align at those angles. B-2's have to 'tack' into a radar environment to make sure none of those angles are perpendicular to an emitter. And from what I have heard, they weren't super successful in the whole 'detecting and plotting emitters' way; the defensive ESM apparently was problematic. I don't know if this is true, I've just heard rumors. But I will say given that they can now compress that tech into a fighter sized aircraft (F-35), the B-21 likely will have some unrivaled situational awareness. Some of of what I've read indicates that the USAF wants it not just to be a bomber but also a data node, because of being at high altitude and also presumably having a lot more surface area and distance to place various receivers across a wide band compared to a fighter sized airframe.

 

[flateric]

I'm pretty sure no one is actually allowed to closely photograph a B-2 til this day. There are definitely shots from the rear quarter in the air mind you, but I think close pictures on the ground are still...discouraged.

There's no square inch of B-2 OML that was not shoot by DoD and media photogs in three decades of her history. She still holds her secrets under the skin and never was shot in 'unclean' configuration with, say, DMS antennas deployed though.

 

[bobbymike]

COVID-19 News: Coronavirus Impacting B-21 Bomber Program

COVID-19 News: Coronavirus Impacting B-21 Bomber Program

www.nationaldefensemagazine.org

Air Force Flight Tests B-21 Avionics; Program 'On Right Track' - Breaking Defense

"I know we're not going to be immune from design flaws," Air Force RCO head Randy Walden said of the B-21 program. "We're going to have to work through those, and we're doing some of that today."

breakingdefense.com

 

[Q-nimbus]

Found these pictures online. Haven’t seen them here, so apologies if they have been debunked already. I’m sceptical whether they’re real, but you guys can probably tell a lot more about that. Fake or not, I’m pretty sure they flew a prototype or demonstrator or two before NG got the contract.

 

[flateric]

Northrop didn't have to build a demonstrator for B-2 40 years ago, why should it build it now, taking into account giant leap CFD and other things made since then?