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The First Two B-21 Bombers Are Nearly Complete—and the Air Force Already Wants More of 'Em
Popular Mechanics via Yahoo ^ | June 10th, 2021 | Kyle Mizokami

Posted on 06/10/2021 1:47:51 PM PDT by Mariner

The U.S. Air Force's (USAF) bomber program, designed to field a replacement for the B-1 Lancer and B-2 Spirit by the late 2020s, is on track. That's a rarity in the world of military hardware procurement. Still, Congress is calling on the service to accelerate the program; USAF isn't budging.

"Once we get through design and get the first ones delivered, we can adjust production rates and maybe affect them that way, but we have to get through the engineering with solid discipline," Air Force acting acquisition executive Darlene Costello said during a House Armed Services panel on June 8.

One major reason the Air Force doesn't want to speed up the B-21 program is that, while the bombers are almost mechanically complete, the service has not yet solidified the overall design for the larger fleet. The service is concerned that speeding things up could introduce concurrency issues.

(Excerpt) Read more at yahoo.com ...


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KEYWORDS: b21; b21bomberb21
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To: Mariner

Article says that the B-52H will fly into the 2040’s and maybe into the 2050’s. By then, the BUFF will be as ancient as the today’s DC-3’s that are still flying.


21 posted on 06/10/2021 2:07:51 PM PDT by DFG
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To: ProtectOurFreedom
BB21 is a battleship...


22 posted on 06/10/2021 2:08:58 PM PDT by null and void (When you put bad people in charge expect bad things to happen, often in a spectacular and sudden way)
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To: Spktyr
spread spectrum radar

Now there is a term I havent heard before...spread spectrum like GPS, yes...but spread spectrum radar...hmmm... Did you misspeak or are we flying such radar now?

23 posted on 06/10/2021 2:09:40 PM PDT by Magnum44 (...against all enemies, foreign and domestic...)
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To: ProtectOurFreedom

Look what they did with the new tanker, they regressed from the KC-135 to the KC-46. :-)


24 posted on 06/10/2021 2:09:49 PM PDT by ducttape45 ("Righteousness exalteth a nation; but sin is a reproach to any people." Proverbs 14:34)
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To: Mariner

Are they going to use them to protect our borders?


25 posted on 06/10/2021 2:19:30 PM PDT by alternatives? (If our borders are not secure, why fund an army?)
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To: Magnum44

Autocorrect changed ‘radio’ to ‘radar’ and I didn’t catch it. Though technically Doppler radar is spread spectrum and there are examples of that flying in every US airliner.


26 posted on 06/10/2021 2:20:04 PM PDT by Spktyr (Overwhelmingly superior firepower and the willingness to use it is the only proven peace solution.)
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To: cuban leaf

What happened to B3 through B20?

We sold them as junk to the UFO aliens.


27 posted on 06/10/2021 2:20:26 PM PDT by Grampa Dave (“Respond only to polite and intelligent posters, who don’t insult you or us! Forget the others!”)
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To: ProtectOurFreedom

BB is the term for a battleship


28 posted on 06/10/2021 2:23:10 PM PDT by joe fonebone (bush league chamber of commerce worshiping republiCAN'Ts are the enemy)
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To: Spktyr
Yes, but Doppler radar is not stealth. When I saw your post, I was wondering if we had stealth radar now? (We probably do but someone would come and kill me if I mentioned it)


29 posted on 06/10/2021 2:24:42 PM PDT by Magnum44 (...against all enemies, foreign and domestic...)
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To: Levy78

The problem is the enemies are behind the wire.

***********

Not just behind the wire, they’re occupying positions of power and influence within this country.


30 posted on 06/10/2021 2:25:42 PM PDT by Starboard
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To: MIA_eccl1212

Remember..
2 and 2.....
B4


31 posted on 06/10/2021 2:25:59 PM PDT by joe fonebone (bush league chamber of commerce worshiping republiCAN'Ts are the enemy)
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To: alternatives?

Are they going to use them to protect our borders?

*************

Maybe the borders of other countries, but not ours.


32 posted on 06/10/2021 2:26:51 PM PDT by Starboard
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To: Mariner

You can buy over the counter consumer gear today that can lock on to, then give strength and bearing of, a radio signal in the sub-10 millisecond range. It’s called a modern speed enforcement radar detector. Try again.


33 posted on 06/10/2021 2:27:07 PM PDT by Spktyr (Overwhelmingly superior firepower and the willingness to use it is the only proven peace solution.)
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To: ProtectOurFreedom

“What happened to B3 through B20?”

Those are now the names of various craters in the Mojave Desert.


34 posted on 06/10/2021 2:34:05 PM PDT by MercyFlush (A wise man once said nothing. )
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To: Magnum44

Spread spectrum anything isn’t stealth against modern gear. It’s only stealthy against someone who has narrow band gear. Against a wide spectrum receiver/sensor, it’s clearly visible/detectable that you’re transmitting *something*.

Put it to you this way. There are consumer toys *today* that home on spread spectrum signals for their ‘return home’ or ‘follow me’ functionality.


35 posted on 06/10/2021 2:35:55 PM PDT by Spktyr (Overwhelmingly superior firepower and the willingness to use it is the only proven peace solution.)
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To: Levy78

Yep. Might as well put the red Chinese star on these birds.


36 posted on 06/10/2021 2:36:24 PM PDT by CivilWarBrewing (Get off my back for my usage of CAPS, especially you snowflake males! MAN UP!)
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To: Magnum44

“I was wondering if we had stealth radar now? “

LPI (low probability intercept) radar has been around and likely used on the B2 for a few decades.


37 posted on 06/10/2021 2:48:37 PM PDT by doorgunner69 ("Those who vote decide nothing. Those who count the vote decide everything.." -Joseph Stalin)
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To: Spktyr

“strength and bearing “

Not bearing in a 360deg envelope.

That’s bullshit.


38 posted on 06/10/2021 2:48:48 PM PDT by Mariner (War Criminal #18)
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To: Magnum44
Now there is a term I havent heard before...spread spectrum like GPS, yes...but spread spectrum radar...hmmm... Did you misspeak or are we flying such radar now?

All modern AESA radars are considered "Low Probability of Intercept" (LPI) radar.

One of their characteristics to help in avoiding detection is using an ultra-wideband TX-RX and frequency hopping within that wide band, changing frequency every pulse.

In essence a form of Spread Spectrum radar.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Low-probability-of-intercept_radar

39 posted on 06/10/2021 2:49:00 PM PDT by Yo-Yo (is the /sarc tag really necessary?)
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To: ducttape45

The regression was from the KC-135 to the KC-10. ;)


40 posted on 06/10/2021 2:51:51 PM PDT by Mr.Unique
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