[MilCom] Re: B-1 bomber crashes at base in Middle East/B-52

[Declared_Hostile]

Last message bounced so I'll try again.


Duane Mantick wrote:
 > The Lancer really has not had a particularly visible
 > role in much of anything and most of the public I
 > doubt even remembers what it is!
 >
 > As for simply grounding them - that's a lot easier to
 > do when mission requirements are minimal as they seem
 > to be for the B-1B.

It has a very visible role and nor are the mission requirements minimal.

The B-1B has been indispensable in Iraq and Afghanistan.  They carry a 
very heavy bomb load, get to the target area very fast and can loiter 
for a very long time.  The USAF named it "Most Valuable Plane" of 
Operation Iraqi Freedom where they  dropped nearly 40 percent of the 
total tonnage during the first six months of  the war. In Operation 
Allied Force they delivered more than 20 percent of the total ordnance 
while flying less than 2 percent of the combat sorties.  In Afghanistan 
and Iraq they've even used it to deter enemy activity and conduct 
psychological operations by sending them over the bad guys at high speed 
and a few hundred feet above the ground at full power as a show of 
force.  It's quite an ear shattering thunderous display and sends the 
bad guys scurrying for cover and likely requires the changing of their 
pantaloons.



Duane Mantick wrote:
 > Wish we could pony up the $$$$ for about another 100
 > B-2's.........for that matter, if we know what's
 > shortfalls on the B-1B's, restart production for an
 > updated "B-1C" model.........
 >

There is a plan for a next generation bomber, the B-3.  There have been 
a couple of different proposals as to what capabilities the B-3 should 
have and what the performance requirements should be.

B-1s and B2s are slated to be around until 2037 and B-52s until 2045. 
B-52s flying in 2045 sorta boggles the mind when you consider they first 
flew in 1952.


So it is going to be a while before the current bombers retire and the 
B-3 comes online although there have been some things said recently that 
could lead one to believe that the research on a B-3 may be farther 
along than what is generally thought.

Oh and I haven't heard any B-2s out and about since the crash on Guam. 
They're apparently not technically grounded but they're not taking any 
chances flying them until they find out the cause of the crash.

DH