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

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