Attempt number five
The B-52 strategic bomber, which made its first flight in 1952, after planned remotorization, will probably be able to serve until the 2050s. That is, almost a hundred years in total. The most surprising thing is that the Americans wanted to replace this now legendary car back in the … 1950s, in fact, almost immediately after its entry into service in 1955.
In 1957, the US Air Force accepted an offer from North American Aviation to replace the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress fleet with the North American XB-70 Valkyrie bullet, capable of speeds in excess of 3200 kilometers per hour. Soviet anti-aircraft missiles cooled the ardor of the Americans: after the downed U-2 reconnaissance plane, it became obvious that speed and altitude were no longer a guarantee of safety. Then the epic began with the B-1 bomber, the concept for which was changed several times. This aircraft has faithfully served and is serving the US Air Force, but it never became a replacement for the B-52.
Just as the famous "strategist" Northrop B-2 Spirit did not become it - the most expensive aircraft in the history of human civilization with a price tag of about two billion US dollars (in fact, one of the reasons why he did not change the old aircraft). The story did not end there. At various times, the US military considered a hypothetical hypersonic combat aircraft that would become a "21st century bomber." It also did not work: this initiative was postponed "for later", and the control of the apparatus at hypersonic speed is associated with fundamental technical problems, in particular - gigantic temperatures and "burnout" of electronics.
In the 2000s, they decided to act more modestly. Having finally abandoned the strike version of the F-22 - the so-called FB-22 - the states decided to focus on a relatively cheap subsonic strategic bomber. Based on the experience gained during the development and operation of the B-2. Here you can recall the history of the F-22, developed during the Cold War, and the F-35, which appeared later. The new bomber is likely to have a similar story.
Most likely, the car will turn out to be a slightly smaller version of the B-2, and the concept will be based on a "flying wing" aerodynamic configuration. Apparently, it is she who will become universal for the strategic bombers of the future. For the Russian PAK DA and the Chinese Xian H-20, according to the available information, this aerodynamic scheme was also chosen. Recall that we are talking about the layout of the airframe of a tailless aircraft with a reduced fuselage, the role of which is played by the wing carrying all the units, as well as the crew and the payload. The good thing about the scheme is that the entire surface of the aircraft creates the lift. Also, the "flying wing" fits almost perfectly into the concept of stealth, which is very important.
A promising aircraft developed as part of the Long Range Strike Bomber or LRS-B program was named the B-21 "Raider", and not the B-3, as previously assumed (it is noteworthy that the Russian-language Wikipedia for some reason continues to call it that way). There is one more, no less strange thing: for some reason Boeing is indicated as a manufacturer. Although Northrop Grumman won the tender long ago, it is he who will create the new aircraft.
First flight
The fact that the creation of such a complex machine would take a lot of time and effort was clear from the outset. All the more surprising is how quickly Northrop Grumman engineers are moving towards their goal. What do we know? It is known for certain that the car has already begun to be built. In September, Acting Air Force Secretary Matthew Donovan announced that assembly of the first flight prototype of the B-21 bomber had begun. The car is being built at the 42nd US Air Force plant in Palmdale, California, where B-2 aircraft were previously produced. Donovan said that work is proceeding according to schedule, and the first flight of the aircraft will be carried out from the site of the enterprise to the Edwards air base, located 35 kilometers away. There the car will be tested.
What's even more interesting. In July of this year, Air Force Magazine wrote that it knows the exact date of the first flight of the new car! The story is more than interesting. Reporters referred to the US Air Force Deputy Chief of Staff, General Stephen Wilson, who announced on July 24, 2019 that he has a “countdown” function on his dial. And she says that the first flight of the B-21 will take place in about 863 days. That is, at the beginning of December 2021.
In general, this haste is somewhat surprising. We can agree with the experts: the United States has clearly accelerated the development of the B-21, which could well turn into another "long-term construction". Judge for yourself: there are no real combat missions for the aircraft, or we do not know about them. The F-15E is enough to participate in local conflicts, and the likelihood of a global conflict is negligible. And the role of strategic aviation in it is questionable: the States traditionally rely primarily on UGM-133A Trident II (D5) ballistic missiles of submarines (SLBMs). There are also land "Minutemans". In such a situation, the urgent need for a new aircraft is not entirely clear.
However, there are also alternative views on the first flight of the B-21. Recently, former senior US Department of Defense official Frank Kendall, who previously served as Undersecretary of Defense for Procurement, Technology and Logistics, questioned the timing of the aircraft's maiden flight and acceptance. “I would be surprised if they manage to get the product by this time at the price specified in the contract,” Kendall said. It is also worth recalling that in 2018, Rob Wittman, a member of the US House of Representatives Committee on the Armed Forces, reported problems with the air intake and a number of other aircraft systems. It must be assumed that this is only the tip of the iceberg, and then new problems will be revealed about themselves.
Armed and very dangerous
Adopting the B-21 into service is an even less certain question. Again, if we think about the F-35, we will see that more than fifteen years passed between the first flight of the prototype and the adoption into service. In the case of the more closely related B-2, the time span was ten years. In other words, the terms for the adoption of the B-21 into service in the mid-2020s announced earlier in the media do not look too realistic, especially since the weapon has clearly not become more simple since then.
By the way, about the arsenal of the Raider itself. Apparently, the United States wants to get an "advanced bomber". In a recent article for Air Force Magazine, Major General Scott L. Pleus wrote that the aircraft will have new capabilities for self-defense. "The B-21 also has the ability to use air-to-air weapons," the military noted. Now experts are "guessing" whether it will be lasers, rockets or something else. However, of course, the aircraft will still rely heavily on escort fighters.
Promising hypersonic missiles can also expand the B-21's armament. Recall that in the summer of this year, photos were presented from tests of a promising air-launched hypersonic complex Air Launched Rapid Response Weapon (ARRW). Then the B-52 acted as a carrier.
Who knows, perhaps the B-21 Raider will not be as "conservative" as it seems at first glance. If so, then the first flight and the adoption of the aircraft for service can be safely postponed indefinitely.
