Air Force B - 21 Raider Long - Range Strike Bomber CRS Report

Air Force B - 21 Raider Long - Range Strike Bomber CRS Report

Summary
The Department of Defense is developing a new long-range bomber aircraft, the B-21 Raider (previously known as LRS -B), and proposes to acquire at least 100 of them. B-21s would initially replace the fleets of B-1 and B-2 bombers,and could possibly replace B-52s in the future.

B-21 development was highly classified until the summer of 2015, when the Air Force revealed initial details of the aircraft and the program.
Although technical specifications and other data remain out of public view, many details of the budget, acquisition strategy, procurement
quantities, and other aspects of the B-21 program are now in the public arena.

The Administration’s FY2019 budget request include d$2.31billion for further development of the B-21. As passed, the FY2019 defense appropriations bill funded the program at $2.28 billion.

As a large defense program that involves issues of strategic and nuclear policy ,as well as
substantial expenditures, the B-21 is likely to be subject to significant congressional interest .

This week I was doing a little Googling and I came across this pdf. And I found this congressional report. It talks about the B-21 development and some things we already know.

But I saw this part in the pdf that was of interest.

As a result, the initial B - 21 aircraft can be augmented more easily as advanced technologies are developed; it also means that what might otherwise be expensive development of advanced sensors and/or other subsystems may be deferred and /or competed independent of the aircraft itself. This comports with earlier comments about the possibility of B - 21 being part of a family of systems , and suggests that some relevant capabilities may be under development in other budget lines.

So the B-21 is a family of systems, which are in other line budget line items. Someone may want to take a look.

Oh and we may see the bomber in 2020

The B - 21 bomber is “progress ing really well,” Global Strike Command chief Gen. Robin Rand told reporters ... it looks like “in the mid - 2020s, we’ll have the first one at one of our bases,” with initial operating capability “in the late ‘20s” . He reiterated his “strong recommendation” that USAF buy “at least 100” of the bombers and “make sure we get to that [number] by the late ‘30s.” At such a rate, production would be around five per year.

a reply to: grey580
No photos - No proof
: )

a reply to: spiritualarchitect

It's sorta top secret.

No worries though. It will be seen in 2 years.

Production at plant 42.

a reply to: grey580

Might already of been photographed and shown on this forum??!!

I don’t know much about military planes. But I sure love that name “Raider” perfect for a long range bomber .

a reply to: grey580

The B-21 isn't a family of systems, it's part of a family of systems. And he's saying that they'll be at bases by the mid-2020s, which means they'll be delivered by then. That means we'll probably see them by next year.

a reply to: Zaphod58

Well...

Will you be taking a trip to Plant 42 next year then for pictures?

a reply to: grey580

If I get word early enough to make the trip I am. It'll depend on the job situation though.

Ive always liked the idea of these..
www.boeing.com...

a reply to: Blackfinger

Seems kinda like these:





And, yes, China has a LOT of them.

As usual it looks great on paper, but at this point in time I have little faith on the ability of the USAF to go this is what we want and then let the company develop it without adding new things and in the process dicking up the end product.

a reply to: Irishhaf

The RCO is running things this time. I think you'll be surprised. They ran the X-37B among other programs.

a reply to: grey580

The quality of this report concerns me a bit. A really good example of this is from the graph before:



The NGAD is already funded and will be at over $2B in a couple years. Soooo...where is in on this graph? It's big! And yet...

Details like that really make me question how thorough the work the researcher did.

a reply to: anzha

I generally find that the answer to that is usually the minimum need to write 500 words.

a reply to: anzha
Some light reading.
www.dtic.mil...

Id say its well along. New hanger at Groom with U shaped taxiways

NG area at Plant 42 left a B-2 out for at least a day which implies not enough room in the hanger for it.

etc etc etc

originally posted by: grey580
a reply to: spiritualarchitect

It's sorta top secret.

: ) = I was just joking.
Using the UFO deniers tag line.