Posted on 07/17/2025 3:55:00 AM PDT by whyilovetexas111
I don’t see any mention in the article of payload. That’s kinda the mission.
Why. No it can’t. Which is ridiculous.
B-52H:
Payload - 70,000 pounds
Max Takeoff Weight: 488,000 lbs
Speed - 650 mph (Mach 0.84)
Inventory (2024) – 76
B-1B
Payload - 75,000 pounds (125,000 w/ externals)
Max Takeoff Weight: 477,000 lbs
Speed – 900+ mph (Mach 1.2)
Inventory (2025) – 45
B-2
Payload - 40,000 pounds
Max Takeoff Weight: 376,000 lbs
Speed - 630 mph (Mach 0.95)
Inventory (2025) – 19
B-21
Payload - UNK
Max Takeoff Weight: 180,000 lbs
Speed – 0.8+
Inventory (2027) – 3
“I don’t see any mention in the article of payload.”
Do the research my friend....I did.
“No it can’t. Which is ridiculous”
-
You sure about that?
B-2 Max Takeoff Weight is 376,000 lbs and Payload of 40,000 pounds, which is roughly 10% of its TO weight.
Using that same ratio the B-21 would have about a 18 - 20,000 lbs payload.
They had better build a LOT of 'em.
Pretty sure.
Went looking, says max payload is 20,000 pounds.
The bunker busters we dropped were like 38,000.
Not hard to find. The article, however, claims to compare airframes without that important factoid.
Shocking what a B-1 can carry, if this is correct. Nearly twice that of B-52?
Color me skeptical of this data sheet.
We need to have at least one type of “bomb truck”.
What I’m seeing is thr B-21 will be able to carry the bunker buster.....but only 1.
Im not certain the published payload capacity stats are final. They say the single main bomb bay has a max capacity of 20000 lbs which is less than the M.O.P. bunker buster. It also says total payload capacity is 30000 but that is spread over several attachment points. This reduction from the B-2’s capacity makes the Raider more nimble and longer range, more evasive. But at some raw carrying capacity expense.
“Why. No it can’t. Which is ridiculous.”
Of course it can, and it is ridiculous to maintain otherwise.
“Went looking, says max payload is 20,000 pounds.”
That is laughable, but it does not say what the payload is.
The B-21 Raider is expected to have a payload capacity of around 30,000 pounds, which is roughly half of the B-2 Spirit’s capacity. While the exact figures remain classified, it’s believed the B-21 can carry a mix of conventional and nuclear payloads, including JDAMs, GBU-57s, and the LRSO cruise missile.
What weapons can a B-21 carry?
Hardpoints: 1 × main weapons bay with a capacity of 20,000 lb (9,100 kg) weapon load.
Missiles: AGM-181 LRSO.
Bombs: JDAM family of munitions.
At present, the B-2 stealth bomber is the only aircraft cleared to employ the massive bunker buster operationally, and can carry just two of them per sortie. The B-21 Raider stealth bomber is also expected to have the MOP in its arsenal, but it’s likely it will only be able to carry one of the bombs at a time.Jul 7, 2025
Im not sure if that means the numbers are still flexible? The MOP Bunkerbuster is around 22000 lbs each.
The British Mosquito had the same payload as a B-17. It had to be kept secret from the US.
I don’t see where official carrying capacity is published and perhaps that is classified. Unofficial numbers suggest it’s main bomb bay capacity is less than the gross weight of one MOP but perhaps that is deliberately misleading? I have seen other purportedly official statements that the Raider will carry one MOP vs the 2 carrying capability of the B-2 Spirit. The B-21 is significantly smaller so this is not surprising. Are we certain that the MOP bomb will continue to be in our arsenal?
The Mosquito was a fascinating plane.
The payload on the B2 you listed is now known to be incorrect. They just dropped two 30,000 bombs Iranian nuclear facilities.
The payload is classified, despite the 20,000 being passed around. One article said the B-2’s capacity is 40,000 and the B-21 will be slightly less.
The B-2s in some form will be around for quite awhile. Look at the B-52s.
On occasion driving down the interstate, I would see a B-52 leaving the runway and I would park my car on the side of the interstate and it would fly very low directly above me. It is an awesome sight, unless you are its receipients.
I don’t know if that happens now with all the Biden terrorists allowed into the country.
Some aspects of it are still top secret.
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