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 ...
B2 PING
Sleek and sweet.
Memo to Iran: All your nuke program is belong to us.
bttt
I heard from a little birdie that the smart bombs have been reconfigured to as small as 100lbs of HE. Targeting confidence is so good that there's no longer a need to send a 500lb bomb to do a 100lb bomb's job.
5x!!
That's a heck of an upgrade. I wonder how they made all the new stuff fit?
100lb bombs doing the work 500lb bombs won't do.
I guess this was the new technology that President Bush and Rummy were talking about??
They're using a +5 Bomb Bay of Holding.
Sorry - old, probably obscure D&D reference.
Provided it is escorted by EA-6Bs to jam the low band search radars that can detect them. The mission capable rate for the B-2 fleet is still hovering around 40%.
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.
Just wish we had acquired an ecomomic ordering quantity of 100 or more. Same goes for the B-1 which should have gone to 200 or more. With stand-off and smart weapons, these are awesome platforms. When coupled with a laser designator for Joe Snuffy, we give god-like powers to infantry.
"Same goes for the B-1..... "
I was out near Nellis recently and saw (heard) one of those B1-B's..WOW..... kinda hard to sneak up on someone with one of those.... I could hear it long before I saw it.
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.
;)
Just in time for this:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1606051/posts
Handy dandy upgrade!
Love those photo postings!
Bump that!
No doubt. Did they add a trailer hitch, or what?
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