Official release Edwards to test, Tinker for support
 

ORAC - can you shed some light on why someone would think that "not speaking on the record" was any different from speaking to the press? Seems really weird to me...... I'm baffled........... if they don't want to let people know he should have kept quiet......

Ellsworth AFB to be first base
 

‘Ready to fly soon’Popular Mechanics article
 

Expect Trump to be there and to tell everyone all the details we've always wanted to know...............

Construction begins of #1
 

AF Vice Chief of Staff says fly by December 2021
 

[QUOTE=ORAC;10124703]B-21 bomber finishes preliminary design review, and Air Force official is 'comfortable' with progress

A U.S. Air Force official told a Senate subcommittee Wednesday that the new B-21 bomber has completed its preliminary design review and that he was "comfortable" with the progress made by builder Northrop Grumman Corp.

The bomber is now on its way to critical design review, said Lt. Gen. Arnold Bunch Jr., the military deputy of the office of the assistant secretary of the Air Force for acquisition. Citing the "nature of the work,"

Bunch declined to go into further detail about w the Air Force planned to spend the $2.3 billion it requested for the bomber program for fiscal year 2019 when asked by Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas). However, he said the program was "continuing engineering manufacturing development" and "some of those risk reduction areas."

The first set of software for the platform has been delivered, and the program is getting "set up" for the next set of software to come in, Bunch told the Senate Armed Forces Subcommittee on Airland during a hearing about Air Force modernization efforts.

"We're making everything ready to begin our test program in the future," he said. "We're making good progess. I'm comfortable today with where we're at, and the progress that Northrop Grumman is making on the program."....[/QUOTE

According to the USAF Vice Chief of Staff, he says the B-21 will fly in Deceember 2021 all being well and program on track.

Air Force Magazine


https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....2d1b9dfe96.jpg

Seriously - can someone remind me what cap[abilities this will have over the B-2?

Or is it an admission they should have bought a few more of the original stealth bomber?

Apart from the 30 years of upgrades in the way of stealth, engines, electronics, sensors and network capability?

Reportedly the other major change is that the entire design is based around rapid update capability for sensors, communications, weapons etc. I am presuming that means an open architecture based on a multiparty fibre database network and standardised racks etc.

Oh, and its reportedly optionally manned.......

So no advances in large stealthy bomber external shape in what 30 years years since the B-2 first flew?? Is that really as good as it gets?

As for the hot-swappable sensors, this is pretty much what is being developed for the Tempest, according to their sales people at RIAT.

I take the point on the systems tho not o sure about the stealth - but I'd guess it may be more maintainable stealth

I'm sure it will have a reduced signature compared to its predecessor, especially against the updated and predicted threat list. As for the overall shape not changing that much, well the physics of RF propagation have not changed at all and same goes for the physics of atmospheric flight.

The large physical size of the platform gives it an RCS advantage over smaller aircraft when it comes to lower frequency threat systems and gives space for big fan engines, fuel, weapons, sensors and crew. Once you have the volume for those 5 requirements in an aerodynamic and low RCS package the remaining artistic freedom is limited.

Arguably the biggest change is the robustness, repeatability and maintainability of the 'stealth' coatings with a much-reduced cost-of-ownership.

yes - all modern volume produced cars look the same, all modern airliners look the same

As with all sensitive projects, there is a degree of disinformation..

It's now over eight years on from a certain even in Pakistan in May 2011 : anybody got a photo of a stealth Blackhawk yet ? :) Some may have noticed that Imran Kahn made an interesting comment about that mission recently which could be interpreted as supporting my much mocked supposition over the years.

What supposition was that, Haraka?

or not.

PS; I have no idea what your much mocked supposition is, but I'm guessing from the inference that you felt/feel the stealth Black Hawk wasn't really a stealth Black Hawk, or something along those lines.