New generation bomber in 21. National Interest: The United States will create a new missile for a nuclear strike on the Russian Federation and China
Externally, the aircraft is very similar to the B-2 currently in service, however, the new project will eliminate the shortcomings of its predecessor
Image of the new American B-21 bomber
Moscow. February 29. website - On February 27, 2016, the US Air Force held a presentation at which the project of the promising LRS-B strategic bomber, being developed to replace the existing B-2 Spirit and B-52 Stratofortress, was partially declassified. During the presentation, the military showed an image of the possible appearance of the new bomber, reports the N+1 website. According to US Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James, the promising aircraft will be designated B-21: B - bomber, 21st - 21st century.
According to James, the military has not yet come up with a name for the future aircraft; it must be offered by members of the US Air Force. Judging by the image, the B-21 will be very similar in appearance to the B-2 bombers currently in service with the US Air Force. According to senior military analyst at Lexington University and Pentagon adviser Loren Thomson, cited by Military.com, the external similarity of the B-21 with the Spirit bomber is due to the fact that the new project actually eliminates the shortcomings of the B-2, while maintaining all its advantages.
In particular, in the project of the new bomber, Northrop Grumman is relying on stealth. According to Thomson, from some angles the B-2 was clearly visible to enemy radar; in the case of the B-21, invisibility will be complete. According to James, the design of the B-21 will be carried out within the framework of an urgent operational need program, that is, with minimal coordination of parameters with the US Congress and extra-budgetary allocation of funds.
It is assumed that promising strategic bombers will be based only in the United States. If necessary, they will be able to fly from the United States to any point in the world, drop bombs or fire missiles, and then return back to base. According to the military, the technical capabilities of the B-21 will allow the bomber to break through systems air defense enemy, and also operate quite effectively in conditions of active opposition.
Previously, the US military stated that the B-21, starting from the first flight model, would receive the systems and software necessary to carry out nuclear strikes. Moreover, in the first few years of service, the aircraft will not be certified for the transport and use of strategic weapons and will not be included in the Treaty on the Reduction of Strategic Offensive Arms (START-3). It is assumed that the aircraft will be larger than a carrier-based unmanned aircraft aircraft UCLASS project, but smaller than B-2.
The bomber is being developed by the American company Northrop Grumman. According to the Pentagon, the development phase of the LRS-B project will cost the US military budget $21.4 billion in 2010 prices, or $23.5 billion in terms of the end of 2015. At this stage, the military will receive several experimental aircraft. The purchase of each new bomber of the LRS-B project will cost no more than $511 million in 2010 prices, or $564 million in terms of 2016 prices.
In total, the US Air Force can field from 80 to one hundred B-21 bombers.
The new American strategic bomber B-21 Raider will become a real threat to two world superpowers, Russia and China. Actually, this is what the Pentagon is counting on: for now there is simply nothing to oppose the newest stealth bomber.
The development program for a promising bomber started back in 2014. The project was awarded to Northrop Grumman - the company's engineers and designers have more than enough experience.
There is little information about the project yet, and it is unlikely to be accurate performance characteristics strategic bomber will ever fall into the net. It is known that the basis of the project is the concept of a subsonic stealth aircraft. The already proven “flying wing” scheme is used. The B-21 Raider will be able to carry both bombs and missiles.
The main task of the "Raider" will be covert penetration into the area of further attack. It is assumed that the stealth B-21 will clear the main targets of enemy air defense, after which tactical aviation will be able to finish the job without fear.
The bomber will be able to use free-fall bombs B83-1 and B61-11. But in general, a new B61-12 ammunition is being developed specifically for it. It will be equipped with guidance systems, which does not seem particularly practical given the nuclear contents.
The B-21 became smaller and lighter than the somewhat outdated B-2. The take-off weight of the bomber is within 100 tons, the wing dimensions do not exceed 40 meters. The latest firm details concern the engines: the aircraft will be powered by Pratt & Whitney turbojet designs.
The B-21 Raider will enter service before 2025. The number of bombers has not yet been disclosed. What is known is that Congress approved a budget for the program of $97 billion.
Two years ago, the American aviation industry began creating a promising Northrop Grumman strategic bomber. The first machine of this type will have to go into testing only in a few years, however, certain assessments of the promising project are already being expressed, and attempts are being made to predict further events.
October 27 American edition of The National Interest published an article by Kyle Mizokami entitled “Why Russia, China and North Korea Should Fear America’s B-21 Bomber” (“ Why Russia, China and North Korea should be afraid of the American B-21 bomber"). As the title indicates, the publication is dedicated to the latest B-21 project and the consequences of the appearance of such equipment in the context of the international military-political situation.
At the beginning of his article, K. Mizokami recalls the events of the recent and distant past. On October 27, 2015, Northrop Grumman received a contract to develop the B-21 Raider, a promising stealth bomber. However, he notes that approximately 35 years before the signing of the contract for the B-21, a previous agreement of this kind was concluded, which resulted in the B-2 Spirit aircraft.
The author is forced to note that at the moment many details of the new project are shrouded in mystery. At the same time, some of the information has already been published. Having some data about the future of the B-21, one can draw certain conclusions, which is what the American journalist proposes to do.
The bomber's official designation, the B-21 Raider, has a curious origin. The numbers point to the 21st century, and the additional name recalls the legendary 1942 operation. During World War II, a detachment of B-25 Mitchell bombers under the command of General James "Jimmy" Doolittle attacked a number of targets in the Japanese islands. Among other things, bombs were dropped on Tokyo. Remembering Dolittle's Raid air Force The United States points to the audacity of this attack, the strategic and tactical surprise, as well as the unique length of the route covered by the “raiders.”
As the image of the B-21 aircraft officially released by the US Air Force shows, the new project involves the construction of a tailless aircraft similar to bat. At the same time, the new B-21 should have certain similarities with the existing B-2. However, the two aircraft are noticeably different from each other.
K. Mizokami draws attention to the layout of the power plant. On the new bomber, the engines will be located closer to the vestigial fuselage, while the engines General Electric The F118-GE-100 aircraft of the B-2 are located at a certain distance from the central section of the airframe. New project provides for the use of beveled air intakes instead of the “notched” ones used on serial equipment. In addition, the promising B-21 will receive jet engine cooling systems designed to reduce visibility in the infrared range. It is curious that such devices were present in early images of the future B-2, but were never included in the final version of the project.
The prospective bomber looks similar to the existing B-2, and will likely also be four-engine. In 2016, Pratt & Whitney was selected as a subcontractor to make engines for the new B-21. Modified versions of the F-100 and F-135 turbojet engines are being considered as the power plant for this aircraft. The relatively old F-100 used on the F-15 Eagle fighter jets looks like the right choice. However, instead, the customer can choose a modification of the F-135, installed on the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. This will make it possible to both obtain the required characteristics and reduce the cost of producing engines for two aircraft.
Like its predecessor, the new Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider will be a heavy strategic bomber capable of carrying nuclear and conventional weapons. If it does not differ from the B-2 in size, then there is reason to believe that the payload will remain at the same level. In addition, the B-21 can retain two cargo bays. K. Mizokami believes that the aircraft can be equipped with drums launchers Advanced Applications Rotary Launcher, already used on B-2 vehicles. Each such product carries eight missiles of one type or another.
To solve special problems, the B-21 will be able to carry nuclear weapons. In this case, its ammunition load will include cruise missiles Long-Range Stand-Off (LRSO), characterized by low visibility for enemy detection systems. In addition, compatibility will be ensured with B61 tactical bombs, including their latest version B61-12. Combination of weapons possible different types. In this case, LRSO missiles will be used to destroy air defense facilities and break through to the main targets. The latter, accordingly, will be destroyed by guided bombs.
On “routine” combat missions, the B-21 will be able to use a wide range of conventional ammunition. It will be able to carry the JASSM-ER cruise missile, as well as GBU-31 Joint Directed Attack Munition guided bombs with a caliber of 2 thousand pounds. The author believes that in the case of non-nuclear weapons a strategy of sequential use of missiles and bombs can be used: the former will help make a “pass” in the enemy’s air defense system, and the latter will fly directly to the specified targets. As an alternative, the possibility of using only bombs or only missiles in one flight could be considered.
The Raider's weapons range should also include the GBU-57A/B Massive Ordnance Penetrator bomb. This product weighs 30 thousand pounds (14 tons), and can currently only be carried by the B-2 bomber. Thus, a promising project should provide for the possibility of using the heaviest American aircraft weapons, which do not have a large number of carriers.
K. Mizokami points out that the Air Force has commissioned Northrop Grumman to design and build a bomber using open hardware architecture principles. Thus, unlike previous aircraft in its class, the new B-21 can become more than just a bomber. The specificity and features of the required architecture should guarantee the ability to easily and quickly update the hardware, as well as facilitate the integration of new tools. Thanks to this, the aircraft can be quickly and easily adapted to new missions of one kind or another.
For example, in addition to weapons, surveillance devices, target designation devices, etc. can be placed in the cargo compartment. In addition, the B-21 will be able to become a carrier of special communications equipment, unmanned aviation complex, electronic intelligence systems or electronic warfare. All this will allow you to solve a variety of combat missions in the most different conditions, including with active opposition from the enemy. In general, according to the author, the current implementation of plans in the context of an open architecture of on-board equipment in the future could make the B-21 the world's first multi-role bomber.
According to open data, the first flight of the promising Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider strategic missile-carrying bomber will take place in the middle of the next decade. In the future, the United States Air Force intends to buy at least a hundred of these aircraft. This equipment will replace the existing B-52H Stratofortress and B-1B Lancer models. The possibility of building and purchasing two hundred new bombers cannot be ruled out. However, the fate of the second hundred aircraft is directly related to the size of the military budget and the financial capabilities of the customer.
The author of The National Interest, having made a number of assumptions regarding the appearance of the future B-21, recalls that at the moment there is no detailed information on this matter. Experts and the public do not yet know what exactly this car will look like. Now the Air Force and the developer strive to maintain secrecy and carefully guard information about it. This situation may persist for several next years, right up to the publication of official data or the first display of the finished car.
Thus, as Kyle Mizokami concludes, the new B-21 Raider has temporarily disappeared into the darkness of secret military technology, and will only be released again when it is ready.
It should be noted that the Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider strategic bomber project is truly one of the most interesting American programs of the present time. The US Air Force is planning radical update his strategic aviation, which is supposed to be carried out using the technique of the most original appearance with special capabilities. For this reason, it should be expected that the B-21 project will implement interesting ideas of one kind or another.
For obvious reasons, the customer and the contractor are in no hurry to disclose all their plans and publish technical details of the new project. However, some fragmentary information has already become known from official and unofficial sources. In addition, an official image of the future aircraft was published, reflecting the current state of the project at that time. However, the actual results of the project may differ markedly from those previously planned.
Absence detailed information technical and tactical nature turns out to be good ground for the emergence of various assessments. Thus, in his article “Why Russia, China and North Korea Should Fear America’s B-21 Bomber,” the author of The National Interest tries to predict what kind of power plant the promising machine will receive. In addition, he presented an approximate range of weapons suitable for use by Raider aircraft. Whether K. Mizokami managed to make correct predictions will become known later, after official information appears.
A curious feature of the article in The National Interest appears when comparing the headline with the material itself. The title of the publication claims that Russia, China and the DPRK should be afraid of the new aircraft, and in addition, it promises to explain why. At the same time, the article itself simply does not mention third countries, and it examines exclusively the tactical and technical features of the promising project. Apparently, the reader is invited to consider the possible appearance and expected capabilities of the B-21 bomber, and then draw their own conclusions in the context of its role in the context of containing Russia, China or North Korea. The author, however, does not express his opinion on this matter.
It is obvious that the promising B-21 bomber, having entered serial production and begun service in combat units, will in a certain way affect the balance of power in the world - as always happens when new types of weapons and equipment appear for strategic nuclear forces. However, these events still relate to a fairly distant future, and the available amount of information does not allow us to make accurate forecasts. Perhaps the future B-21 Raider could really bother Moscow, Beijing and Pyongyang. But the reasons for such fear are not completely clear at the moment, and full conclusions on this issue can only be drawn in the future.
“There's no hope in hell, nothing can bring us down,” wrote Motörhead lead singer Lemmy in his 1979 single “Bomber.” Lemmy's belief in the aircraft's invulnerability can only be realized through design and technology.
In October 2015, Northrop Grumman received a contract from the Air Force to develop a new generation strategic bomber for the United States. This contract follows a request for proposals for a new bomber issued in July 2014 by the Department of Defense. The name of the new aircraft has not yet been chosen, but it received its designation B-21 (21st century) at a public presentation by the US Air Force, held at a symposium in Washington in February 2016.
The U.S. Air Force has not received a new strategic bomber since the first Northrop Grumman B-2A Spirit stealth bomber was inducted into service at the Missouri air base in December 1993. The Air Force currently operates 21 aircraft, supported by 62 Rockwell Collins/Boeing B-1B strategic bombers. B-1B bombers are limited to conventional weapons because they were no longer able to carry air-launched cruise missiles after the signing of the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty in 1991. Today, the US Air Force's strategic nuclear fleet includes B-2A aircraft plus 78 Boeing B-52H Stratofortress strategic bombers.
The US Air Force has made every effort to strengthen its strategic component in the interim period between the introduction of the B-2A and today through the introduction of the Lockheed Martin FB-22A aircraft. The manufacturer began proactively exploring the possibility of developing a medium bomber variant of its superior F-22A Raptor fighter in 2002, with the intention of restoring the role played by General Dynamics' F/FB-111A/D/E/F/G medium bombers. However, the 2006 Defense Review, which presented US military doctrine for the next 4 years, canceled this initiative. There was no movement in this direction over the next few years until a request for proposals was issued in July 2014 (see above).
When development of the B-2A began during the administration of American President Jimmy Carter in the late 1970s and early 1980s as part of the Advanced Technology Bomber (ATB) program, the main concern of American strategists was the threat of Soviet intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs). . These weapons systems included three-stage solid-propellant missiles RT-2PM "Topol" produced by the Votkinsk Machine-Building Plant (remains in service), the development of which began in 1977, and railway-based RT-23 UTTH "Molodets" missiles, which are designed to be transported and launched from a special trains. Both of these missiles have been a major concern for defense planners, particularly their mobility, which increases their survivability compared to stationary ICBMs in silos. Land area Soviet Union was 22 million square kilometers and therefore determining the location and destruction of such targets can be compared to finding a moving needle in a haystack. This problem was solved by the Raytheon AN/APQ-181 radar of the B-2A bomber, which provided high-precision guidance by operating in the radio frequency Ka-band (33.4-36 GHz), especially suitable for detecting and identifying targets with high detail.
This radar can also operate in terrain-following flight mode, which would be necessary if the B-2A bomber were to seek and destroy targets inside the Soviet Union. In carrying out these missions, the B-2A would be forced to fly in perhaps the most heavily defended airspace, so its ability to remain invisible to radar was a must. For this ability, the B-2A received its nickname “Stealth Bomber”, and its main recognizable and distinctive feature there became a strange “sleek” flying wing, similar to a boomerang. Airplane shape and wide application carbon fiber made it possible to achieve an effective reflection area (ERA) of 0.01 m2. It is important to note that the B-2A is still visible to radar, but it is difficult to detect and, most importantly, difficult to target with active or semi-active radar homing heads of surface-to-air or air-to-air missiles. However, the fuselage configuration is only part of the story. The aircraft is equipped with the AN/ZSR-63 active protection subsystem from Lockheed Martin. Understandably, information on the AN/ZSR-63 subsystem is not available, although it supposedly uses active radar jamming technology, where incoming radio transmissions are detected and analyzed and then retransmitted, possibly without Doppler frequency shift (a phenomenon where a radio signal slightly changes its frequency after it will be reflected from the object). The ability to manipulate the Doppler shift can mislead the radar operator as to the aircraft's position or speed, provided he can recognize the weak signal reflected from the B-2A. Last but not least, stealth flight modes such as terrain following and terrain shielding help to steer the aircraft into the radar shadow.
Its low observability made the B-2A perhaps the most advanced bomber produced during the era. Cold War- a conflict in which he never had a chance to participate. The aircraft entered service after the collapse of the Soviet Union in December 1991. Still, this did not stop the US Air Force from using this aircraft with its fairly low level unmasking signs in subsequent conflicts. Although his role was limited to the delivery of conventional weapons, he earned recognition on March 24, 1999, when he attacked several targets in Serbia during Operation ALLIED FORCE, a US-led air campaign aimed at ending ethnic cleansing in Kosovo. Since then, the aircraft has taken part in combat operations of coalition forces in Iraq, Afghanistan and last time in Libya in 2011. After all, the B-2A bomber was designed to fight in only one potential conflict: nuclear war with the USSR and the Warsaw Pact countries, but later found himself in a more complex geopolitical space, in which he demonstrated his rather high efficiency.
The US Air Force remains mindful of the changing geopolitical environment as it develops the B-21 for tomorrow's combat missions. "The B-21 bomber will penetrate modern system air defense and carry out missions despite the so-called anti-access/area denial space (AD/AD),” said US Air Force spokesman Major Robert Lees. ZD/ZZ is a major problem for the US Air Force. America's former and potential adversaries have witnessed the aircraft's ability to penetrate their defenses and then hit high-value targets, sometimes destroying or weakening ground-based air defenses so that subsequent airborne ones can strike forces could attack other targets with relative impunity. The US is seriously concerned about the development of new systems, such as anti-aircraft missile complex S-400 Triumph produced by Almaz-Antey, which enters service with the Russian armed forces, and which was sold to China. The S-400 still needs to be tested in combat conditions and earn the respect of the pilots who will fly in its operational area. Ground panoramic radar station The 91N6E aerial surveillance system of the S-400 can detect targets with an EPO of 0.4 m at a distance of 230 km, while its 40N6E surface-to-air missiles with semi-active and active radar guidance have a range of 400 km. Fifth-generation fighters, such as the Sukhoi PAK-FA and MiG LMFS (light multirole front-line aircraft) being developed in Russia, as well as the Chinese Shenyang J-31, could seriously complicate life for American aircraft in the future.
Major Lees expressed the opinion that solving the ZD/ZZ problem was actually at the forefront of the B-21 bomber project. “The need for the B-21 is based on a movement towards... a greater ZD/BZ philosophy. Therefore, a B-21 bomber capable of operating in such a space, possibly taking off from the continental United States, must inevitably keep targets of all types in its sights." The US Air Force plans to use the B-21 to continuously observe and strike targets, if necessary using conventional or nuclear weapons. Unlike the B-1B, which abandoned its nuclear commitment (see above), the B-21 bomber "will become part of the nuclear triad, providing a clear and flexible nuclear deterrent." The nuclear triad includes the US Navy's Ohio-class ballistic missile submarines. nuclear missiles(these submarines are due to be replaced in the next decade) and intercontinental ballistic missiles mine-based LGM-30G Minuteman-III.
On February 26, 2016, at the Air Force Association Air Warfare Symposium in Orlando, Florida, US Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James publicly demonstrated computer imagery for the first time and presented official name one of the Pentagon's most secret projects - the B-21 stealth strategic bomber, formerly known as LRS-B (Long-Range Strike Bomber), being developed by Northrop Grumman. It is expected that starting from the middle of the next decade, the B-21 will begin to complement, and later, closer to the middle of the century, will completely replace the B-52H, B-1B and B-2A strategic bombers in service with the US Air Force. Deborah Lee James explained the choice of the name B-21 by saying that the aircraft should become “the first new bomber in the 21st century.”
The LRS-B program, along with the fifth-generation Joint Strike Fighter (F-35) and advanced KC-X tanker projects, is considered one of the top three priorities promising development US Air Force. The future bomber must successfully overcome existing and advanced systems Air defense in any probable scenarios of military conflicts, strike at well-protected and moving targets (including sea targets), have the ability to additionally reconnaissance targets and assess the damage caused to them.
As Ms. James said at the Orlando symposium, the B-21 “will enable the U.S. Air Force to effectively fight against the most challenging threats of the future and give it exceptional flexibility to deliver air strikes anywhere.” globe when starting from the continental United States." It was also announced that the program has recently entered the Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD) phase, and the US Air Force expects the first B-21 aircraft to reach initial operational capability (IOC) in the mid-2020s.
As you know, the contract for R&D and production of the first pilot batches (LRIP) of a promising bomber was received on October 27, 2015 by Northrop Grumman, which was also responsible for the B-2 program. The Boeing company participating in the competition filed a protest with the US Government Accountability Office (GAO), which rejected it on February 16, 2016, after a detailed review of the protest within 100 days. Thus, Northrop Grumman's rights to implement the program, estimated at no less than $60 billion, were confirmed. And now, 10 days after the GAO decision, the Pentagon decided to make public the previously secret appearance and the true name of the new bomber.
According to the image, the B-21's aerodynamic concept and layout will largely mirror the current B-2A (pictured below). Deborah Lee James explains the similarities this way: “The B-21 was designed from the very beginning to be able to use the best of existing, well-established technologies.” This should make it possible to reduce the technical risks of the program, the timing of its implementation and the cost of the aircraft. Average purchase price of one production B-21 (excluding R&D costs), according to independent assessment of the American government, will amount to $564 million, according to the Air Force - no more than $606 million. In total, the US Air Force plans to receive at least 100 B-21 aircraft starting around 2025, the life cycle of which will be at least 50 years.
No specifications of the B-21 have been disclosed yet. According to experts, the B-21, unlike its predecessor, is made in a slightly smaller size: its wing span is estimated at 35-40 m (for the B-2 - 52.4 m), take-off weight - no more than 100 tons ( for B-2 - 152 tons, maximum - 170.6 tons). On March 7, 2016, Deborah Lee James released another piece of information about the B-21, announcing the selection of seven subcontractor companies for the program. Among the named companies is Pratt & Whitney, which, as expected by experts, will supply the power plant for the B-21. It is believed that it is being created on the basis of the F135 engine used on F-35 fighters, using the technology of a “civilian” turbofan engine of the PW1000G type (note that the B-2 used engines from a competing company General Electric - F118-GE-100).
It is expected that in the 2040s. B-21 aircraft will completely replace the subsonic strategic bombers B-52H in the US Air Force (delivered in 1961-1962, currently 77 aircraft remain in service) and supersonic B-1B (exactly 100 aircraft were delivered in 1985-1988, There are currently 60 left in service. And by 2058, the last stealth subsonic bombers B-2A will also be removed from service (20 vehicles delivered between 1994-2000 are in service).
