Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider (LRS-B)

The facilities and infrastructure projects for COA 2 and COA 3 will be located at the north end of the runway; both will consist of Environmental Protection Shelters (EPS) for the B-21.
/Approximately 20,000 square feet each.
The facilities and infrastructure projects for COA 1 will be located along the south end of the runway. (This is the most likely alternative to be utilized if the others are rejected.)
 

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I suppose that it depends on the type of launcher they plan to use for the AIM-424 Sferrin, rotory launcher or a variant of the bomb rack assembly suitably modified for missiles.
 
That was what I was thinking Sferrin, it will only be a matter of time before NG reveales the length of the weapons bay.
 
dark sidius said:
NO, Multirole mean multirole , ISR , Bomber , Electronic Warfare.
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Please read the CEO's quote carefully.

She said the Air Force sees the B-21 as a multifunctional platform, not only a nuclear deterrent aircraft.
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She only defines "multifunctional" as "not a nuclear deterrent aircraft." Interpreting that to mean she is saying it's an ISR or EW platform is reading something into her statement that isn't actually there. And she is absolutely being very precise about what she says here. If she was saying "multifunctional" to include those other roles, she would have said something like "the Air Force sees the B-21 as a multifunctional aircraft, not only as a bomber."
 
We are speculating an A2A role as a long range missile truck. I think that would be very valuable for, let’s say Taiwan, but I personally don’t think it will take on that role with the main A2A enhancement focused on up to 1000 CCA for the fleet.

My opinion of course.
 
FighterJock said:
I suppose that it depends on the type of launcher they plan to use for the AIM-424 Sferrin, rotory launcher or a variant of the bomb rack assembly suitably modified for missiles.
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I'd assume a Rotary launcher, which would mean 8 or maybe 16 if the bay/launcher is long enough. We know that the B-21's bay is at least as long as one of the B-2 bays so it can carry MOP, but that's only ~21ft. The bay would need to be at least 28ft long to hold two rows of AIM-424s.
 
Unless they are only going to fit two AIM-424s in the bay and have the rest of the bay used for storm breaker bombs instead, that would make it truly a multirole bomber.
 
FighterJock said:
Unless they are only going to fit two AIM-424s in the bay and have the rest of the bay used for storm breaker bombs instead, that would make it truly a multirole bomber.
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The problem with doing something like that is that the SDBs rack up on rotaries as 4 per slot, you'd have 2x Malice and only 6 racks of 4x SDB for a total of 24. While pure SDBs you can pack at least 40 in the BRA.

Figuring out a way to pack AIM260s or AMRAAMs into the BRA would be a better option. A single BRA is IIRC 4 rows of 5 deep for 500 and 750lb bombs. GBU-38s only take up a 10" box, while AMRAAMs need a 19" box for the cropped fins. So a BRA packing a mix of bombs and roughly-AMRAAM-sized missiles would pack two rows of 5 bombs and 3 AAMs. 20-30x SDBs and 6x or 3x AAMs.

Hrm. Maybe not a better option, except in terms of how many AAMs you've stuffed in the racks.
 
Scott Kenny said:
Hrm. Maybe not a better option, except in terms of how many AAMs you've stuffed in the racks.
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How about serving as a stealth truck for dropping X-68A LongShot drones into a theater? That might solve one of the big operational issues of using a B-21 as an A2A platform, which is that taking shots gives away its position, as well as one of the potential issues with the LongShot concept, which is getting it close enough to engage.
 
I am sure all of these are potential options if they are deemed useful. But I suspect the initial weapons cleared for B-21 will mostly be glide bombs and various models of JDAM.
 
JS23 said:
How about serving as a stealth truck for dropping X-68A LongShot drones into a theater? That might solve one of the big operational issues of using a B-21 as an A2A platform, which is that taking shots gives away its position, as well as one of the potential issues with the LongShot concept, which is getting it close enough to engage.
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What's the point of all this deep stealth then?
 
Can't use B-21 for A2A, not a fighter anybody touting B-21 A2A is a LongShot. If there is some hack in the the USG spewing this then that is scary AI and the USG full off bad human AI, kind of like who let the failed medical experiments out to play.
 
JS23 said:
Maybe one wants to drop them on the other side of a SAM thicket? Or to loiter silently and drop them when a target presents itself?
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I mean, if you build an expensive stand in aircraft(with a crew of just 2), you leverage it.
Absolutely anything else can loiter away safely. Otherwise it's a huge wasted investment.
 
NMaude said:
Does the B-21's cockpit have structural provision for a third seat?
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There's no visible cutout for a third ejection seat. Not sure why you would need one; only one pilot is needed to actually fly the aircraft at any given time.
 
TomS said:
Not sure why you would need one; only one pilot is needed to actually fly the aircraft at any given time.
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I was asking since the B-2A's cockpit has structural provisions for a third ejection-seat and associated instrument panels.
 
I had thought that there was no real need for a thrid seat in the B-2 and they do not use it operationally and quite why NG would put one in the B-21 is beyond me.
 
What are those protrusions on the upper fuselage, I wonder? Test instrumentation? Hatches (seen side-on) for auxiliary air intakes?
 
I surmise that the "East Gate" project has entered the production phase; the straight-line distance between "East Gate" and Palmdale, California, is approximately 900 kilometers.
Transporting components from Utah to Palmdale for final assembly is a standard logistics operation within the defense industry supply chain.

Regarding the Air Force's earlier decision to procure 100 bombers, I came across a statement in a PFD document indicating that "an additional production line will be established in Fiscal Year 2028."
 

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I wonder why they went with the light color scheme instead of the darker you see on the B-2/B-52/B-1.
 
Makes sense for daylight operations at altitudes over 50,000 feet for the B-21 to be light grey, in fact the Lockheed Martin Skunk Works faced the same issue with the F-117A when they were testing the prototype and had a desert camo type colour until the head of TAC told them to change it to Black because it was to be flown at night.
 
FighterJock said:
Makes sense for daylight operations at altitudes over 50,000 feet for the B-21 to be light grey, in fact the Lockheed Martin Skunk Works faced the same issue with the F-117A when they were testing the prototype and had a desert camo type colour until the head of TAC told them to change it to Black because it was to be flown at night.
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Actually, it was pastel colors, because those were the most difficult to see at night. But the general over ruled the LM engineer who came up with that scheme based on actual testing/empirical work. So that engineer told his bosses to never have him work on something like that again. He was angry that a General who didn't know what the hell he was talking about could undo all his hard work.
 

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