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Weapons Payload of B-2 Stealth Bomber Enhanced(now can carry 5 times the amount of smart bombs)
Defense Talk ^

Posted on 03/30/2006 5:19:36 AM PST by MARKUSPRIME

PALMDALE: Northrop Grumman Corporation has completed an upgrade of the U.S. Air Force's B-2 stealth bomber that allows the aircraft to deliver five times its previous capacity of independently targeted, “smart'' (GPS-guided) weapons. Northrop Grumman is the prime contractor for the B-2, which remains the only long-range, large payload aircraft that can penetrate deep into protected airspace. Combined with superior airspace control provided by the F-22 Raptor and global mobility provided by tanker aircraft, the B-2 ensures an effective U.S. response to threats anywhere in the world.

The SBRA upgrade program enhances the B-2's ability to respond to current and emerging worldwide threats as a key element of the military's network-centric warfare concept.

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


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events; Technical
KEYWORDS: aerospacevalley; antelopevallley; assest; b2; b2spirit; flyingwing; getherdone; stealthbomber; whiteelephant; yahoo; yessiree; yowza; zotiran; zottingwing
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To: A.A. Cunningham

The mission capable rate is so low only because someone keeps keying the paint job while it's parked.


21 posted on 03/30/2006 6:12:03 AM PST by Yo-Yo (USAF, TAC, 12th AF, 366 TFW, 366 MG, 366 CRS, Mtn Home AFB, 1978-81)
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To: Publius6961

Increased the number of smart weapons that could be programmed from the cockpit. 500lb vs. 2,000lb.

The payload is still the same, just a different mix.


22 posted on 03/30/2006 6:13:26 AM PST by Yo-Yo (USAF, TAC, 12th AF, 366 TFW, 366 MG, 366 CRS, Mtn Home AFB, 1978-81)
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To: A.A. Cunningham

Question: does the enhanced payload, regardless of the size of the bombs..mean that the bomb-bay doors are deployed longer, which then makes the B-2 visible on enemy radar, and thus more vulnerable? This would NOT seem to be an issue over Afghanistan, for example... where the new technology is an obvious force multiplier, because there is no threat to the B-2 from the ground..but sending the plane over Iran, to target scattered nuke sites...well, if the plane is unstealthy five times longer than before..( am I correct in assuming it would take 5x as long to eject 5x the # of bombs?) there would seem to be much greater risk to the aircraft..


23 posted on 03/30/2006 6:16:14 AM PST by ken5050 (Ann Coulter needs to have children ASAP to propagate her gene pool. Any volunteers?)
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To: 1rudeboy
"Did they add a trailer hitch, or what?"

The addition of payload was not without compromise. I understand they had to shrink the jacuzzi and cut the bar down to two taps.

24 posted on 03/30/2006 6:16:59 AM PST by Joe 6-pack (Que me amat, amet et canem meum)
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To: 1rudeboy
This is just Pres. Bush helping out the environment.

Now one bomber can do the work of five. It saves on fuel.
25 posted on 03/30/2006 6:17:44 AM PST by OXENinFLA
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To: Rebelbase
Talk about a force multiplier. Imagine having 5 times as many B2's loitering in an area for hours with their payloads being doled out one at a time by people in ground installations acquiring targets via reconnaissance drones.

In the opening stages of a second Korean War a capability like this provides an opportunity to take out most of Kim's artillery tubes. Not insignificant at all ...
26 posted on 03/30/2006 6:24:02 AM PST by tanknetter
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To: MARKUSPRIME

Methinks the old B-52 is probably still the all-time champ in delivered ordnance capacity tonnage.


27 posted on 03/30/2006 6:24:04 AM PST by Wonder Warthog (The Hog of Steel)
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To: darth
When coupled with a laser designator for Joe Snuffy, we give god-like powers to infantry

IIRC, shills for the Bush Administration were griping that Clinton wasted Tomahawks on "tents and camels". By putting up five times the ordnance to loiter over theater, we can go back to gratuitous pot-shots at "tents and camels". That should put the fear of god in the perps that the world needs fewer of

28 posted on 03/30/2006 6:27:28 AM PST by Shomer (More Great News and Insights From The Blue Bird of F'ing Joy)
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To: Shomer
The new bombs are 250 pounds. they are the same length but smaller diameter as the standard bombs.

And yes, with the new generation of gps munitions being so accurate, they will do. They average anti-tank missile only carries around 10 pounds of HE.

29 posted on 03/30/2006 6:39:47 AM PST by SENTINEL (USMC GWI (MY GOD IS GOD, ROCKCHUCKER !!))
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To: Rebelbase

There's even talk of smart "bombs" without explosives at all.

Imagne a 100lb or 500lb iron slug/penetrator hitting a tank from 10,000 feet. Does the damage and almost no collateral damage.


30 posted on 03/30/2006 6:41:00 AM PST by SJSAMPLE
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To: Wonder Warthog
B-2 Specifications
Specifications
Primary function: Multi-role heavy bomber.
Prime Contractor: Northrop Grumman Corp.
Contractor Team: Boeing Military Airplanes Co.,
General Electric Aircraft Engine Group
Hughes Training Inc., Link Division
Power Plant/Manufacturer: Four General Electric F-118-GE-100 engines
Thrust: 17,300 pounds each engine (7,847 kilograms)
Length: 69 feet (20.9 meters)
Height: 17 feet (5.1 meters)
Wingspan: 172 feet (52.12 meters)
Speed, cruise: High subsonic
Speed, minimum approach: 140 mph
Ceiling: 50,000 feet (15,000 meters)
Weight, Takeoff, (Typical): 336,500-350,000 pounds (152,600-159,000 kilograms)
Weight, Empty: 125,000-160,000 lb
Range: 6000 nautical miles (9600 kilometers) unrefueled range for a hi-lo-hi mission with 16 B61 nuclear free-fall bombs,
10,000 miles with one aerial refueling

Armament: NUCLEAR
16 B61
16 B83
16 AGM-131 SRAM 2 CONVENTIONAL
80 MK82 [500lb]
16 MK84 [2000lb]
34-36 CBU87
34-36 CBU89
34-36 CBU97
PRECISION
216 GBU-39 SDB [250lb] (b-52 max loadout ONLY 51 500 pounders)
80 GBU-30 JDAM [500lb](compared to 51 on B52)
16 GBU-32 JDAM [2000lb]
8 GBU 27
8 EGBU 28
8 GBU 36
8 GBU 37
8-16 AGM-154 JSOW
8-16 AGM-137 TSSAM
2 MOP / DSHTW / Big BLU

Payload: 40,000 pounds (18,000 kilograms)
Crew: Two pilots
Unit cost: Approximately $2.1 billion [average]
Date Deployed: December 1993
Inventory: Active force: 21 (planned operational
aircraft); ANG: 0; Reserve: 0

31 posted on 03/30/2006 6:52:54 AM PST by SENTINEL (USMC GWI (MY GOD IS GOD, ROCKCHUCKER !!))
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To: MARKUSPRIME

Wonderful! Now we can "accidentally" hit 5 times the number of Chinese embassies!


32 posted on 03/30/2006 6:54:55 AM PST by GAB-1955 (being dragged, kicking and screaming, into the Kingdom of Heaven....)
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To: A.A. Cunningham
That's true, but is it even necssary to have the jammers? After all the type of targets that the Spirit actually goes after (eg targets in Afghanistan) are quite different from the type of target it was created to go against (circles of SAM hell around Soviet loci). The B2 could have radar reflectors all around it and the type of target it goes after couldn't even do a single thing to it.

Now, if we ever have to go against the Chinese (or for that matter a country that has some modicum of real capability) then it would make sense for the Spirit to have such a low readiness level (after all they have to make sure that it's VLO nature is at tip-top shape). However the US hasn't faced a competent military in several decades now. The Iraqis in the first Gulf War 'performed' better than they did this time, but they were still woefully inadequate to deal with the US; and the Yugoslavian Clinton debacle did show that those guys could come with ingenious stratagems, such as using clever camouflage to make black plastic look like roads and bridges from above, using microwaves to simulate radar sites, and making us think we bombed hundreds of tanks when the real number was far lower ......but the result was still the same, namely a curb-stomping by Uncle Sam.

We haven't faced a really competent and capable enemy in a long time, with China being the only one that has potential (in the future) to being significantly more capable than the various nations we have had to spank.

33 posted on 03/30/2006 6:57:44 AM PST by spetznaz (Nuclear-tipped Ballistic Missiles: The Ultimate Phallic Symbol)
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To: taxed2death
I was laughing inside thinking how the sound of that must make the hairs stand up on the back of our enemies necks. They KNOW that shortly there after, they're gonna be in a world of hurt.

I understand that the Iraqi desert was littered with sound systems that made noises like approaching helicopters and MI-1A Abrams...

34 posted on 03/30/2006 6:58:09 AM PST by null and void (Perhaps hating America is for those for whom hating Jews just isn't enough. - Philippe Roger)
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To: poobear
Well, since Iran wants its Revolutionary Guards to meet Allah soon, this upgrade to the B-2 will sure conveniently help.
35 posted on 03/30/2006 6:58:14 AM PST by RayChuang88
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To: SJSAMPLE
Imagne a 100lb or 500lb iron slug/penetrator hitting a tank from 10,000 feet. Does the damage and almost no collateral damage.

The Brits did that very thing with concrete smart bombs near the end of the active conflict in Iraq. IIRC, they took out one tank under a bridge that way.

36 posted on 03/30/2006 7:02:49 AM PST by null and void (Perhaps hating America is for those for whom hating Jews just isn't enough. - Philippe Roger)
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To: RayChuang88

With these type of upgrades the only thing that will meet allah is a small amount of vapor. ;D!


37 posted on 03/30/2006 7:13:22 AM PST by poobear (Islam - A Global Lynch Mob !)
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To: ken5050

They would rarely drop them all at once. And those rotary racks can spit bombs out really really fast.
I would think they would open and close the bay to drop them in small batches for different targets.


38 posted on 03/30/2006 7:17:12 AM PST by TalonDJ
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To: taxed2death

I am always amused by the image of the guy at the enemy radar site...

"Sir we have a contact! No... wait... Its gone now."
"Oh $&*@%!"


39 posted on 03/30/2006 7:19:50 AM PST by TalonDJ
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To: SENTINEL
Nice info, but not much use without the comparable information for the B-52. I suspect that the old "Buff" can haul more stuff.

The B-2's only advantage is it's "stealth" capability, which, as the article states, is only useful in places where the US hasn't established air superiority. Once they have, then the B-52 would be superior "mission capable".

40 posted on 03/30/2006 7:49:13 AM PST by Wonder Warthog (The Hog of Steel)
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