[Aussie Dasher]

Bring it on!

[mountn man]

Redevelop the B-70 with todays technology.

[saganite]

Despite the protestations in the article I'm betting it will be unmanned.

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

Those parts from the 1947 Roswell UFO crash are coming in handy!

[Hodar]

It is always easier to improve upon an existing design, than to create a new design from scratch. From what I know about the F-22 (which is darn'd little) it appears to be a good platform to work from.

[CrawDaddyCA]

What's wrong with the Bone (B1B)? I think that's a great platform.

But I'm a sailor...what do I know.

[tet68]

Somehow I think all these prognostications will come for naught.

It will be unlike anything flying today.

[corbe]

My beloved B-52 cannot go on forever, even though it has already outlived everybody's expectations. I always thought Carter killing the B-1 program (or limiting it severly) was a mistake and I still do.

[SamAdams76]

I would like to see the U.S. build a fleet of at least 8,000 bombers that are triple the wingspan of the B-52, can travel around the world three times without refueling and that can drop over 800 two-ton bombs.

That's 1.6 million tons of bombs.

[patriciaruth]

Well, if the Democrats achieve power and draw our forces back to Okinawa, then we'll definitely need this baby for aftermath, when the Dems are nuked and dead and patriotic Americans, Aussies and Brits and maybe India are reestablishing order in the world.

Maybe India and Japan will have waded in by then, too.

[joem15]

Why does the US need another Bomber? The B2 is deployed from MO to the Mid East on 24 to 36 hour missions with 3 or 4 mid air refueling operations to drop some bombs. The only reason that we need another Bomber is in case they do a sequel to Dr. Strangelove and the offspring, if there are any, of those wonderful characters come back to reprise the role of their fathers.

[Cobra64]

The only arm of the govenment that I endorse.

More toys for our boys who protect the

And to Liberals:

[Echo Talon]

we need a bomber with scramjets... like the X43 :)

[Windcatcher]

If they want killer range and be able to drop LOTS of ordnance, they should base the platform on Phantom Works' BWB.

[rmlew]

The FB-22 would be more of a replacement for the F-117, F-15E or F-111B.

The 2002 design is a delta-winged and elongated F/A-22.

http://www.afa.org/magazine/Jan2005/0105raptor.pdf
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/aircraft/fb-22.htm
http://www.topfighters.com/fighterplanes/raptor/fb22.html It is a really interesting idea in theory. However, there is a rather negative CRS Report for Congress written in 2004. It is available as a PDF.

There is also a proposal to modernise the B-1 to the B-1R

The B-1R is a proposed replacement for the B-1B fleet. Boeing's director of global strike integration, Rich Parke, was first quoted about the "B-1R" bomber in Air Force Magazine. Parke said theB-1R (R stands for "regional") would be a Lancer with advanced radars, air-to-air missiles, and F-22 engines. Its new top speed—Mach 2.2—would be purchased at the price of a 20% reduction of the B-1B's combat range. This proposal would involve modifying existing aircraft. The FB-22 and YF-23 are alternative proposals.

Additional enhancements would include network-centric capabilities, air-to-air engagement, active electronically-scanned array radar, improved defensive systems, and opening up existing external hard points for conventional weapons.

[Fiji Hill]

[theBuckwheat]

And the mission of this bomber will be what, exactly? (As compared to the capability of the B1 or B2, or grand Buff).

How much of this new bomber is made necessary because of China?

[Liberty Valance]

[VOA]

bump

[denydenydeny]

I want a bomber that has a ceiling of, say, 80,000 feet and can drop Rods From God on the miscreants of the world.

[Little Ray]

Manned aircraft are so twentieth century. This is what they need:

http://www.livescience.com/technology/060716_popsci_switchblade.html