Archives

Recent Assets

  • mart_1500034c.jpg
  • DSC00129.JPG
  • lula.jpg
  • gates fort worth f35 pentagon channel.jpg
  • X15poster.jpg
  • Boeing Concept FAXX June 2008.jpg
  • faxxslide manned alternatives June 2008.JPG
  • FAXX slide Boeing July 2009.JPG
  • Boeing Concept FAXX July 2009.JPG
  • OBL.jpg

CSBA outlines B-3 Next Generation Bomber

| | Comments (7) | TrackBacks (0) |
DSC00129.JPGThomas Ehrhard, of the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments, has published a fascinating monograph today with a recommended long-haul strategy for the US Air Force. The paper covers a lot of ground, but contains a particular focus on the USAF's deeply classified plans to start fielding a next-generation bomber force within the next 10 years. Ehrhard, who previously helped resuce the US Navy's X-47B program from cancellation, proposes his ideal strategy for a notional B-3 next generation bomber force of 130 aircraft, with a $16 billion development bill and a flyaway cost per aircraft of about $425 million.

  • Block 10: 24 aircraft "... extremely stealthy, manned, nuclear capable bomber with low-risk components such as F-35 engines, sensors, and data links; and B-2 weapons, conformal sensors, and advanced laser infrared countermeasures (LAIRCM), towed decoys and jammers for self-protection"
  • Block 20: 36 aircraft ... Integrate "first generation variable bypass engines" to increase endurance by 30%, active stealth, modular strike/ISR payload
  • Block 30: 24 aircraft "... improved variable-bypass engines, high-altitude, low-drag 'Aeroservoelastic' (ASE) wings ... and sophisticated adaptable automated flight controls"... may also include directed-energy defensive systems
  • Block 40: 36 aircraft ... "state-of-the-art processors, autonomous mission planning and avionics software and order-of-magnitude flight reliability"
  • Block 50: 10 aircraft ... long-endurance, high-altitude for clandestine, penetrating ISR



0 TrackBacks

Listed below are links to blogs that reference this entry: CSBA outlines B-3 Next Generation Bomber .

TrackBack URL for this entry: http://www.flightglobal.com/cgi-bin/mt/mt-tb.cgi/64349

7 Comments

cortexcmdr

Steve, where did the picture come from? Looks like a Northrop booth? Nice find on this B-3 report!

cortexcmdr

Make that Boeing! (MOP and logo)

Good catch. I took the picture yesterday at Boeing's AFA booth. I wished I had taken a better shot! Boeing and Lockheed Martin are still collaborating on a NGB.

Thanks for the tip. Look forward to reading the monograph given the tidbits posted.

Bjørnar Bolsøy

A bit hard to spot the cockpit on that model.

B. Bolsøy
Oslo

Bjørnar Bolsøy

A bit hard to spot the cockpit on that model.

B. Bolsøy
Oslo

130 aircraft? Not likely. Probably 10...maybe. And people will complain about that number being too high.

Leave a comment

Want a user picture? Get a Gravatar!