Sturgeon Posted September 22, 2015 Report Share Posted September 22, 2015 LRS-B is an interesting program, because A.) there seems to be even less information about it publicly available than there was for NGB, B.) it could make or break Northrop Grumman for defense contracts, C.) the requirements are rumored to be more conservative than previous bomber programs, relying more heavily on fewer precision bombs, D.) "optionally piloted" is getting thrown around a lot, E.) it's reportedly not intended to replace the B-2, F.) the technology is supposed to be all stuff that was proven out in the F-35 program. So basically, the Air Force is hinting that their next bomber will be medium-sized, stealthy, and based on technology proven in the F-35 program. Is this the medium bomber revenant? More importantly,FB-23 FB-23 FB-23 FB-23 FB-23 FB-23 FB-23 FB-23 FB-23 FB-23 FB-23 FB-23 FB-23 FB-23 FB-23 FB-23 FB-23 FB-23 FB-23 FB-23 FB-23 FB-23 FB-23 Belesarius, SuperComrade and Mike E 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toxn Posted September 22, 2015 Report Share Posted September 22, 2015 Nope, moar B2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Belesarius Posted September 22, 2015 Report Share Posted September 22, 2015 I'm hoping for an embiggened F-23. Expecting something similar to the last pic Tox posted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toxn Posted September 22, 2015 Report Share Posted September 22, 2015 The other concept picture being thrown around is this: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toxn Posted September 22, 2015 Report Share Posted September 22, 2015 Finally, the most likely version of the LRS-B: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Khand-e Posted September 22, 2015 Report Share Posted September 22, 2015 H-20 ....Wait, wrong thread. Belesarius 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toxn Posted September 22, 2015 Report Share Posted September 22, 2015 Speculation spergout pre-initiated. Belesarius 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Priory_of_Sion Posted September 22, 2015 Report Share Posted September 22, 2015 I've read that there are two different designs being looked at. I would have to guess one version is just a smaller B-2, the other is anyone's guess(FB-23). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LostCosmonaut Posted September 22, 2015 Report Share Posted September 22, 2015 The best possible outcome is that the USAF realizes they should have bought more 5th gen fighters, and LRS-B is used as a backdoor to start production of a modernized YF-23. Belesarius 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Belesarius Posted September 22, 2015 Report Share Posted September 22, 2015 The best possible outcome is that the USAF realizes they should have bought more 5th gen fighters, and LRS-B is used as a backdoor to start production of a modernized YF-23. Especially if they realize they need a missile boat and go FB-111 sized or bigger. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sturgeon Posted September 22, 2015 Author Report Share Posted September 22, 2015 It's funny, the B-2 looking thing that's been thrown around is actually Boeing/LockMart's proposal, not NG's. So there's still hope! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Belesarius Posted September 22, 2015 Report Share Posted September 22, 2015 Be cool if we got a blended lifting body stealth bomber too. Sort of like the H20 concept above. I've seen a few concepts for that floating around the net. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Priory_of_Sion Posted September 22, 2015 Report Share Posted September 22, 2015 I could see something like the A-12 coming out of this program. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sturgeon Posted September 22, 2015 Author Report Share Posted September 22, 2015 As in appearing like the A-12, or being an equivalent clusterfuck? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Priory_of_Sion Posted September 22, 2015 Report Share Posted September 22, 2015 Both. More on the look than the mess of the A-12. Flying triangles are in vogue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike E Posted September 23, 2015 Report Share Posted September 23, 2015 Who needs FB-23 when you have... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Belesarius Posted September 23, 2015 Report Share Posted September 23, 2015 Who needs FB-23 when you have... Beautiful airplane. Not exactly stealthy or all that survivable in a contested air environment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike E Posted September 23, 2015 Report Share Posted September 23, 2015 Who needs stealthy or capable, when you have beautiful... FB-23 ain't too bad either. I really wonder if Russia would make a Su-34-strikified version of PAK-FA, seeing that the Su-24 still needs to wiped out, and the -34 won't last forever. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xthetenth Posted September 23, 2015 Report Share Posted September 23, 2015 Who needs stealthy or capable, when you have beautiful... FB-23 ain't too bad either. I'd rather the US not standardize on the USMC's way of avoiding air defenses by looping outside the allowed engagement area for the exercise except for a few seconds to drop munitions if you don't mind. On the other hand, who needs stealthy when you have: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sturgeon Posted September 23, 2015 Author Report Share Posted September 23, 2015 If the US license-produced Su-34s, I would be pretty happy.But I still want a long-range medium bomber. Let's look at some now: LoooSeR 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Collimatrix Posted September 23, 2015 Report Share Posted September 23, 2015 SU-34 is supposed to have some stealth features, but they are rather modest, as is always the case when modifying an older design to be stealthy rather than designing it from the ground up. Range is an important consideration. The ability to secure bases in friendly, or at least indifferent nations for the USAF can change easily and without warning. Furthermore, the ability to mount strikes against fleeting targets without the ability to arrange basing ahead of time needs to be maintained as the USAF legacy bomber fleet becomes very, very old. A lot will hinge on the engines. If the USAF goes with fancy next-generation engines with absurdly high turbine inlet temperatures and pressure ratios, they may be able to make a medium-sized aircraft that has big aircraft range. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toxn Posted September 23, 2015 Report Share Posted September 23, 2015 I'm so sold on the idea of a big-ass plane able to travel the world handing out missiles and bombs to everyone like a big, black, evil Santa Claus. Scolopax, Sturgeon, Collimatrix and 1 other 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Belesarius Posted September 23, 2015 Report Share Posted September 23, 2015 Flanker variant with western engines and electronics would pretty much be the idea aircraft for Canada, IMNSHO. Never gonna happen tho. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sturgeon Posted September 24, 2015 Author Report Share Posted September 24, 2015 "What I'm asking for won't be another F-35 boondoggle, because while I want LRS-B to be a COMINT, ELINT, SIGINT, jammer, tanker, flying drone headquarters, AEW, JSTARS, ABM, missile truck, and transport, it's not like I'm asking for it to take off vertically!" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Belesarius Posted September 24, 2015 Report Share Posted September 24, 2015 "What I'm asking for won't be another F-35 boondoggle, because while I want LRS-B to be a COMINT, ELINT, SIGINT, jammer, tanker, flying drone headquarters, AEW, JSTARS, ABM, missile truck, and transport, it's not like I'm asking for it to take off vertically!" That's the same article Toxn linked. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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