Posted on 04/08/2016 12:09:34 PM PDT by C19fan
The recently announced Long Range Strike Bomber (LRS-B or B-21) is moving forward with one hidden feature that doesn’t make a lot of sense—its actual price tag. Despite requests by Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John McCain (R-AZ), the Air Force has decided against releasing the final contract value to taxpayers and it stands by its decision only to release estimates. Unfortunately, with a cost plus contract, the widely varied estimates that have already been publically released, and the Department of Defense’s long history of drastically underestimating final program costs, Chairman McCain is right to ask the Air Force to release a final cost, not only to come clean with taxpayers but also for oversight purposes.
(Excerpt) Read more at pogo.org ...
Geeeez...numbers like that could keep us from paying 4 hours on our debt service. Hit the panic button!
I’ve read that new advances in passive radar eliminates the stealth in stealth aircraft.
We’ve reached “peak airplane.”
New generations of planes and ships become geometrically more expensive, while the US government becomes increasingly more bankrupt. Two trends which are running parallel.
My guess would be $1 billion a copy in series production, plus allocated development costs.
I'm thinking we could load up some old DC-9's with TNT and remotely crash them into enemy positions for a whole lot less money than we spend on cruise missiles and smart bombs, much less new airframes.
The Age of Drones is upon us. Unfortunately, the powers that be are going to have to re-learn the Billy Mitchell lesson a few times before the let go of their expensive sense of nostalgia.
I’d go with the drones with a kamikaze mode so when they’re off, they’re off. I would figure there would be some kind of timer or program to determine if it should self destruct or drop it’s payload and land for recovery/reuse.
Might just be better to develop rocket technology better. They can be launched from just about any platform we have. They can be brought in close to targets. They are all smart and guided.
FReeper Jeff Head wrote about the use of passive radar in his Dragon’s Head novel, like, 15 years ago.
Certainly the technology has advanced in those intervening years.
You know, like caterpillar drive for subs.
That’s where the B1 is awesome...”Now you see me... Now I fry your radar”.
The Air Force motto is “Aim High,” which should have all of our WWII fighter pilot heroes rolling in their graves, their job being to aim to hit the target.
Great idea, there are all kinds of old aircraft in the desert that could fit the bill. The old adage quantity is a quality all its own.
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