LRS-B... The B-21
Salute!
Good poop, Commando.
As with the F-22 reduction on the buy bid , I cannot see the U.S. congress going much above 100 Raiders. One of my acquaintances from way back in the Viper years became very high in the pecking order and he forecast between 250 amd 300 Raptors verus the 700+ bargained for. And only plane he and I saw since the early 60's that went above the original bid was the Viper. The 35 might be the second one, as unit price seems to be coming down and it seems to have mucho versatility.
One thing folks need to remember about the Bone was it was airborne artillery over the 'stan. Using JDAM's for CAS was a breakthru, but remember that the threat was non-existent.
Gums sends...
Good poop, Commando.
As with the F-22 reduction on the buy bid , I cannot see the U.S. congress going much above 100 Raiders. One of my acquaintances from way back in the Viper years became very high in the pecking order and he forecast between 250 amd 300 Raptors verus the 700+ bargained for. And only plane he and I saw since the early 60's that went above the original bid was the Viper. The 35 might be the second one, as unit price seems to be coming down and it seems to have mucho versatility.
One thing folks need to remember about the Bone was it was airborne artillery over the 'stan. Using JDAM's for CAS was a breakthru, but remember that the threat was non-existent.
Gums sends...
Most of the time (in my experience) the ground units usually didn't want a JDAM, they usually (but not always) wanted a different munition.
There was a limited number of A-10's in Bagram, so we didn't always have Warthogs to direct to the scene. Sometimes it was "you get a Bone or you get nothing"
(This was before Bones showed up with the smaller bombs)
An interesting, detailed and thoughtful analysis on Australia acquiring the B-21.
https://www.aspi.org.au/report/impac...ions-australia
There have been howls of laughter online "...they wouldn't even give you the F-22, the B-21 is too sensitive airframe innovation wise to export, US law won't let them, the USAF hasn't even got it yet, it's too expensive..."
But I personally think AUKUS and geopolitics have changed everything.
Seven years ago the idea of Australia acquiring nuclear subs was laughed out of the room...
https://www.aspi.org.au/report/impac...ions-australia
There have been howls of laughter online "...they wouldn't even give you the F-22, the B-21 is too sensitive airframe innovation wise to export, US law won't let them, the USAF hasn't even got it yet, it's too expensive..."
But I personally think AUKUS and geopolitics have changed everything.
Seven years ago the idea of Australia acquiring nuclear subs was laughed out of the room...
"Seven years ago the idea of Australia acquiring nuclear subs was laughed out of the room..."
there are a number of posters here who will believe it when they see it - the costs will be an easy political target for many years
there are a number of posters here who will believe it when they see it - the costs will be an easy political target for many years
No but I recently spent several weeks in S Australia and not everyone I met was a fan of the AUKUS programme
Once the politicians can see a cost someone will run against it. Bi-partisanship is of course central to Australian politics as we all know
Once the politicians can see a cost someone will run against it. Bi-partisanship is of course central to Australian politics as we all know
Ecce Homo! Loquitur...
https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zon...-in-new-images
During Air Force Chief of Staff Charles Q. Brown's speech at this year's Air & Space Forces Association's mega conference outside of Washington, D.C., the soon-to-be Chairman of the Joint Chiefs dropped two new images of the B-21 Raider. While the stealth bomber was rolled out in December of last year, it remains cloaked in secrecy. Brown, the top Air Force uniformed officer, didn't specifically reference the images in his presentation.
Up until today, only one angle of the full aircraft has been seen by the public — head-on — and in a very controlled environment at the bomber's unveiling. Aside from a close-up of the cockpit area at an angle, all imagery published since then has been from the same head-on perspective, although it has progressively shown the aircraft in more detail. Now we have our first quartering view of the flying-wing jet, which provides significant details about its design. A new head-on image also gives us a better idea of the bomber's actual size. Both images were taken at Northrop Grumman's facility at Plant 42 in Palmdale, California.
During Air Force Chief of Staff Charles Q. Brown's speech at this year's Air & Space Forces Association's mega conference outside of Washington, D.C., the soon-to-be Chairman of the Joint Chiefs dropped two new images of the B-21 Raider. While the stealth bomber was rolled out in December of last year, it remains cloaked in secrecy. Brown, the top Air Force uniformed officer, didn't specifically reference the images in his presentation.
Up until today, only one angle of the full aircraft has been seen by the public — head-on — and in a very controlled environment at the bomber's unveiling. Aside from a close-up of the cockpit area at an angle, all imagery published since then has been from the same head-on perspective, although it has progressively shown the aircraft in more detail. Now we have our first quartering view of the flying-wing jet, which provides significant details about its design. A new head-on image also gives us a better idea of the bomber's actual size. Both images were taken at Northrop Grumman's facility at Plant 42 in Palmdale, California.
Last edited by ORAC; 13th Sep 2023 at 09:48.
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I have seen shapelier backsides ...
Would have preferred that image wasn't on the interweb. Would think that the photographer may get a rev-up in due course. It's one thing to have publicity photos, it is another to have candid ones, that one is far too revealing.
Reminds me of the “clandestine flight” to get images of the B2 on its rollout back in 1989.
https://aviationweek.com/defense-spa...ut-photo-scoop
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Lonewolf_50 WestCoast
Laughingly or not you talk about rear end and taking photos, there are many aviation groups enthusiasts go on tours say RAF Lakenheath, and see either then F-15C Eagle or F-15E Strike Eagle in the HAS, the rule of thumb from the Public Affairs tour guide "take any photos up close, selfies but please do not take of the engines at the back or else".
Which is strange as any airshow the old Mildenhall Air Fete or RIAT, 9/10 you can walk behind one of Lakenheath's finest and see close up of the engines.
cheers
Laughingly or not you talk about rear end and taking photos, there are many aviation groups enthusiasts go on tours say RAF Lakenheath, and see either then F-15C Eagle or F-15E Strike Eagle in the HAS, the rule of thumb from the Public Affairs tour guide "take any photos up close, selfies but please do not take of the engines at the back or else".
Which is strange as any airshow the old Mildenhall Air Fete or RIAT, 9/10 you can walk behind one of Lakenheath's finest and see close up of the engines.
cheers
Assuming the photographer was in a place he/she was allowed to be, it’s legal to take the picture. The burden is on the military/manufacturer to keep it away from prying eyes.
Reminds me of the “clandestine flight” to get images of the B2 on its rollout back in 1989.
https://aviationweek.com/defense-spa...ut-photo-scoop
Reminds me of the “clandestine flight” to get images of the B2 on its rollout back in 1989.
https://aviationweek.com/defense-spa...ut-photo-scoop
Strictly speaking it is an airport, anyhow has anyone on here been to Plant 42 / Palmdale?
Anyone with a decent DSLR, say Cannon EOS7D and a long range lens (one of the ones which is 4 figure sum) and shoot it from the highway or somewhere public. I do not think the photographer is an employee of either USAF AFSC or N-G or anyone else there hell he has his own watermark signatory.
cheers
