While we were talking about promising defense systems that will 100% protect our promising PAK DA bombers, which will appear in the future by 2030, the United States assembled the first two copies of the newest strategic bomber B-21 aka B-3, aka “Raider.
Index "21" - this is right at Yakovlev with his MS-21 ripped off, means the 21st century. The name is more interesting, the name with such a thick hint. Twofold.
In general, we all know perfectly well what the term "raider" means. Previously, it was a ship with enormous autonomy, capable of destroying enemy communications at a great distance from either their bases or from others. But there is also a second interpretation.
The Raider was an operation carried out in 1942. This is a semi-suicidal raid on Japan of land B-25s, which took off from the deck of an aircraft carrier, bombed Japan and then fell in who where. The so-called "Doolittle Raid".
Material damage was not great, but moral … This operation is quite comparable to the bombing of the Red Army Air Force on Berlin in 1941. The same impudent and courageous at the same time.
Here is a new plane and was named after this operation. The hint is clear: there are no inaccessible places, the B-3 can be guaranteed to reach any target, in any country in the world.
The aircraft's official "baptism" ceremony was attended by retired Lieutenant Colonel Richard Y. Cole (1915-2019), the only living veteran of the Doolittle raid at the time.
In general, it is worth paying tribute to the Americans, the plane was built very quickly. The competition was announced in 2014, and the first two were built in 2021. For comparison: the PAK DA program in Russia was launched in 2009 and so far the first aircraft is under construction.
For the right to develop a new bomber for the US Air Force, three leading (well, first, second and fourth) companies in the world clashed in battle: Lockheed Martin, Boeing and Northrop Grumman. The Grumman project was recognized as the most promising.
Earlier this year, there was a message from Grumman saying that "everything is going according to plan." The creation of the B-21 is proceeding according to the schedule and even without the rise in prices. The second is especially surprising because budget overruns are normal in the United States. Here "Grumman" surprised.
It is planned that the finalization of the first copies of the B-21 / B-3 will take the entire 2021, and the flight tests will begin in 2022.
In case of successful tests and acceptance into service (something suggests that they will accept) a very interesting event will occur: B-3 will have to replace … B-1 and B-2. Newer aircraft than the B-52, which will remain in service!
In general, we must admit that the first two "pancakes" (although B-1 is not quite a pancake), "Lancer" and "Spirit" still came out lumpy. B-1s are constantly breaking down, the reliability of this aircraft leaves much to be desired. The B-2, which has become the most expensive aircraft in the history of mankind, also does not shine in performance. But the main thing is the price for a billion dollars, which made it impractical to build the aircraft on a large scale. Therefore, only 20 units were built instead of a hundred.
The B-21 promises to be much cheaper and easier to manufacture.
Here it is a matter of changing the concept of application. The fact is that both "Lancer" and "Spirit" were focused on their use at low and ultra-low altitudes to break through the enemy's air defense system. The enemy, of course, was understood to be the USSR and, as a successor, Russia.
However, modern air defense systems do quite well with low-flying targets. And with such a goal as a huge strategic bomber, there will be no problems even more. The breakthrough of the layered air defense system at low altitude is a thing of the past. And given that 90% of the weapons of American strategic bombers are bombs (albeit adjustable ones), then successful actions in a country like Russia look doubtful.
In May 2020, the US Department of Defense announced the final figure: in case of successful tests, the agency will order "Northrop-Grumman" 145 V-3 units
This will be a very impressive strike force, especially if the US Air Force is armed with a decent air-launched cruise missile. At least a decent one. The "newest" AGM-158B JASSM-ER (modernization of the AGM-158A JASSM, which comes from the 80s of the last century) is still very much inferior to the Russian X-55SM in the range of application. Three times. It is not worth talking about how useful a missile launch is due to the range of the enemy's air defense. A cruise missile, even a subsonic one, is still more difficult to shoot down than a strategic bomber. And 3, 5 thousand km of range for the Kh-55SM give a much better chance of survival for the carrier's crew than 1000 km for the AGM-158A JASSM.
B-3 is a direct continuation of work on B-2. It is logical how much money was spent on the creation of the B-2 Spirit, how many developments were carried out - it is a sin not to use it.
With images and data, everything is very bad when necessary, the Americans are great at keeping their military secrets. Basically, everyone uses the B-2 photo, since the aircraft are similar in design. "Flying wing", or as it is also called, mono-wing. No tail unit.
But there are also differences. Since the B-3 is not planned to be used at low and ultra-low altitudes, its configuration will be simpler and cheaper. There will be no "jaggedness" in the rear of the wing, most likely the wing will be more relaxed in shape. The B-3 will simply have to take off, gain altitude and calmly fly to the line of ammunition drop. No rounding maneuvers, no low-altitude flights. Everything is calm and thoughtful, well, like a normal "strategist".
Engines that will not be subject to the maneuver load will be placed closer to the fuselage. The air intakes are of a more classic, beveled geometry, rather than the serrated ones of the B-2. Exhaust gas pre-cooling system to reduce the aircraft's IR visibility.
And, most importantly, the B-3 will be smaller than its predecessor. The fuselage length is 15 meters (for the V-2 - 21 meters), the wingspan is 42 meters (for the V-2 - 52 meters). Accordingly, the "Raider" will be easier. Perhaps - faster, or it will be able to take on the same level of combat load.
Northrop-Grumman believes that such a development will actually make the B-3 an aircraft that can be mass-produced and for less money. The second is especially important, the budget of the US Department of Defense, as it turned out, still has a bottom. True, they do not knock on him yet, but anything can happen.
It is clear that in terms of armament from the B-3 they will try to equip everything that was available to its predecessors and all possible new developments. "Bunker" bombs GBU-57, nuclear bombs (free-fall B83, corrected B61-12), nuclear missiles (remnants of AGM-86 of all modifications and something will definitely be created for the "Raider").
Interesting information, which has received official confirmation, the B-3 will be "toothy", that is, there will be air-to-air missiles in the weapons segment. This is not typical for "strategists", but the aircraft will have the ability to fight off enemy fighters in the event of an interception attempt.
There is no doubt that this will be a very heavily armed aircraft.
What can really be questioned is absolute invisibility. Yes, the Americans were and are the first in this direction, and they worked on the mistakes of their F-117 more than fruitfully. All other countries of the world cannot even come close in terms of the level of developments to the Americans. They understand stealth very well, and even with their experience …
Since 1983, as the F-117 Nighthawk entered service, work on aircraft with reduced visibility did not stop. Naturally, all the developments on this topic for almost 40 years will not be lost and will be used in the design of the B-3.
Naturally, the newest strategic bomber will be equipped with the latest developments in the field of electronic warfare. Everything will be aimed at making it as difficult as possible for aircraft to detect and engage air defense systems.
By the way, the United States does not at all hide the fact that the "deeply echeloned enemy air defense system" should be understood as the air defense of Russia and China.
Obviously, the main combat mission of the "Raider" will be precisely the raider passage, possibly alone, to the launch zone for key targets on the enemy's territory.
And, by the way, an unobtrusive aircraft can do it. While swarms of drones and fighter-bombers at different altitudes (UAVs at altitudes up to 5 km, aircraft at altitudes of 8-10 km) will distract the enemy's air defense system, V-3 at altitudes from 15 to 20 km can break through the defense shield and strike, including nuclear bombs.
Ammunition type B61-12 is able to independently go to the target, taxiing and hitting with great accuracy.
So one mistake in the air defense system - and the blow will be delivered. B61 is 80 kilotons. And if we talk about cruise missiles, then we can already talk about 150 kilotons. At one time, Hiroshima got "only" 16 kilotons.
Our beloved The National Interest wrote that the B-3 would be invulnerable to the promising Russian S-500 Prometheus anti-aircraft missile systems. The plane does not actually give a signature, in any ranges, and miracles do not happen. The point is not even that it is difficult to shoot it down, the point is that it is difficult to notice it, the radars will show nothing but ordinary noises. He will show large birds, gulls, cormorants, migratory geese, kites, but B-21 will not.
Let us doubt a little about such an optimistic scenario. In a dispute between the V-3 "Ryder" and, for example, our radar "Sky-M", I would bet on "Sky". And it's not about some kind of patriotism, no. The station uses three bands, meter, decimeter and centimeter. I admit that in one of the ranges the "raider" will be invisible. But in others it is unlikely. At least in one, but it will "light up".
But in the United States, they believe that everything will be so. An aircraft completely invisible to the enemy's radar station, which will ensure the destruction of targets with impunity on the territory of any country.
The fact that the military department is seriously counting on the B-3 indicates that the United States plans to significantly increase the number of air bases where nuclear ammunition for the Air Force will be stored.
Today the United States operates two bases, Minot in North Dakota and Whiteman in Missouri. But by 2030, there will be five bases: it is planned to commission and retrofit for storing nuclear weapons at Barksdale in Louisiana, Dyess in Texas and Ellsworth in South Dakota.
At each of the bases, special storage facilities will be created for nuclear warheads for bombs and air-launched cruise missiles.
This indicates, first of all, that the American military department is seriously planning to increase its fleet of strategic aircraft. And since such expenditures have already been planned, it means that the results of the Northrop-Grumman work are encouraging for the US military.
Of course, statements on the topic of "absolute invisibility" are somewhat akin to statements from our side that the new protection complex will 100% protect PAK DA from any means of optical and electronic detection.
However, it should be noted that after only 7 years from the beginning of work, the first two aircraft are being completed. And test flights are planned in 2022. We, too, seem to be building the first prototype of the PAK DA, but 12 years later. And the first flight is planned only in 2025.
The lag is obvious. True, this does not mean that the B-3 will be a cut above the plane being built in Russia. Trials will show everything, everything will become clear over time.
Perhaps the aviation god will have mercy on the Americans and the third strategic bomber of the new generation will nevertheless become a worthy replacement for the same B-52. They say God loves trinity.
