B-2B Spirit

[macmacmacmoc]

odd "B-2B" found in USAF Almanac for the funding section, any clues on what it could be?

 

[Foo Fighter]

One of the 'upgrade' projects?

 

[macmacmacmoc]

does seem like it but it seems to have been cancelled

 

[FighterJock]

Pity, but with the B-21 on the way it would be necessary to cancle the B-2B upgrade you cannot expect the B-2A to be upgraded when there is funding to go into the B-21 at the same time. Something has to go I am afraid.

 

[Sferrin]

Pity, but with the B-21 on the way it would be necessary to cancle the B-2B upgrade you cannot expect the B-2A to be upgraded when there is funding to go into the B-21 at the same time. Something has to go I am afraid.

Gone are the days of turning out 100 B-1Bs in four years while developing the bleeding edge B-2A.

 

[FighterJock]

So true Sferrin, these days are well and trully over I am afraid.

 

[NMaude]

Gone are the days of turning out 100 B-1Bs in four years while developing the bleeding edge B-2A.

It makes one almost miss the days of the Cold War.

 

[Foo Fighter]

Gone are the days of turning out 100 B-1Bs in four years while developing the bleeding edge B-2A.

At the same time they are apparently spending big on SLEP for the B1-B.

 

[Foo Fighter]

Engines for the B-52.

 

[quellish]

View attachment 810590odd "B-2B" found in USAF Almanac for the funding section, any clues on what it could be?

Post-production support, modification of in-service aircraft.

 

[TerraFirma]

B2-B was going to be upgraded to B2-C with a laser replacing one of the bomb bays (amongst other things)

 

[flateric]

B-2С was cheaper, not-EMP protected, COTS-avionics (c)onventional version, proposed in 2001.

 

[aim9xray]

Apocryphally, B-2C was two signatures away from moving forward in 2001. YMMV.

 

[elmayerle]

As the B-2A gets replaced in its current primary role, it will be interesting to see if they decide to make use of the third seat position for battle management or other control possibilities (RB-2C or KB-2C?). I could see a KB-2C for refueling highly secret "black world' projects.

 

[Scott Kenny]

Post-production support, modification of in-service aircraft.

Any indications of what kinds of modifications they were talking about?

Even just a generic "new radar, new engines, new defensive systems"?