Documentary on Russian Air Force aerobatic team
Wonsan Air Festival Highlights, the First Air Show in North Korea
Documentary on Russian Air Force aerobatic team
Sikorsky-Boeing SB-1 Defiant & Bell-Lockheed Martin V-280 Valor
The Bell Helicopter design, which is
called the V-280 Valor, is an advanced tilt-rotor design that is based
upon technology similar to the Bell-Boeing V-22 Osprey
The Sikorsky-Boeing entry, called the SB-1 Defiant, is a compound helicopter design with co-axial rotors and a pusher-propeller. dailymail
Two
teams - Sikorsky-Boeing with their Defiant, and Bell
Helicopter-Lockheed Martin with their V280, are also vying for the
lucractive contract to create a manned version of the 'supercopter'.
Both are set to take off for the first time next year in the final stage of the battle to replace the Black Hawk.
The
two prototype aircraft will be built and flown as part of a project
called the Joint Multi Role Technology Demonstrator Air Vehicle, which
will then inform the Army's Future Vertical Lift (FVL) program to
replace the long-serving Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk and Boeing AH-64E
Apache.
The FVL program will also inform the US Navy's MH-XX program to replace the MH-60 Seahawk.
Bell revealed this week it believes it's entrant could enter service in 2024.
'There's
no real technology that needs to be further developed for us to be able
to design and develop an aircraft that meets those requirements,' said
Vince Tobin, Bell's vice president of advanced tiltrotor systems,
according to DefenceOne.
'Our
big push now is that, after we fly this and prove out that we can build
this aircraft, that we are ready to go into engineering and
manufacturing development.'
The
Sikorsky-Boeing team is also hoping to fly in 2017, said Doug Shidler,
Sikorsky's program director for its Joint Multi-Role tech demonstrator.
'The
intent of the JMR TD effort is to maximize the knowledge gain and risk
reduction toward an anticipated Future Vertical Lift acquisition
program,' said Dan Bailey, the Army's JMR/FVL program director when the
two finalists were announced.
Two
other teams led by Karem Aircraft and AVX Aircraft were not selected
for continued development, but the service is still interested in their
technologies.
'The
Army will seek to continue technology development efforts with those
teams based on resources and opportunities,' the service said.
The
Sikorsky-Boeing entry, called the SB-1 Defiant, is a compound
helicopter design with co-axial rotors and a pusher-propeller.
The
Bell Helicopter design, which is called the V-280 Valor, is an advanced
tilt-rotor design that is based upon technology similar to the
Bell-Boeing V-22 Osprey.
The new tilt-rotor is smaller, faster and much more manoeuvrable than the Osprey and has a top speed of over 300 knots.
The Future Vertical Lift (FVL) is a program to develop a family of military helicopters for the United States Armed Forces.
The
Bell Helicopter design, which is called the V-280 Valor, is an advanced
tilt-rotor design that is based upon technology similar to the
Bell-Boeing V-22 Osprey.
The Bell V280 program completed its final design and risk review period in August, and construction has already begun. dailymail
Four different sizes of aircraft are to be developed, and they will share common hardware such as sensors, avionics, engines, and weapons.
It
will eventually lead to replacements for the Army's UH-60 Black Hawk,
AH-64 Apache, CH-47 Chinook, and OH-58 Kiowa helicopters.
The
precursor for FVL is the Joint Multi-Role (JMR) helicopter program,
which will provide technology demonstrations planned for 2017.
Chris
Gehler, director of Bell Helicopter's advanced tilt-rotor systems, said
the V280 program completed its final design and risk review period in
August. Spirit Aerosystems has completed building the fuselage in
Wichita, Kansas, and shipped it to Amarillo just before AUSA.
'This is real. The aircraft is coming together now,' Gehler told Defense News.
Spirit Aerosystems has completed
building the fuselage in Wichita, Kansas, and shipped it to Amarillo
ahead of flight tests in 2017. dailymail
THE DEFIANT-1
The Sikorsky-Boeing entry, called the SB-1 Defiant, is a compound helicopter design with co-axial rotors and a pusher-propeller.
The design will have a cruise speed of 250 kn (290 mph; 460 km/h), but less range due to using the 'old' T55 engine.
The
SB-1 will be quick and nimble, with fast acceleration and deceleration,
side-to-side movement, and hovering with the tail up and nose down.
The Defiant demonstrator will be powered by the Honeywell T55, which powers the CH-47 Chinook.
It will be slightly modified to better operate at slower speeds down to 85% rpm.
'We've
got all kinds of pieces and parts, different technologies and things
that are yielding today and starting to flow to Amarillo.'
'About
this time next year,' he said, the aircraft will look ready to fly and
the team will be running pre-flight checks, ground runs, shake tests and
other reliability activities.
The
U.S. Army-led Joint Multi-Role Demonstrator (JMR-TD) program is the
science and technology precursor to the Department of Defense's Future
Vertical Lift program expected to replace 2,000 to 4,000 medium-class
utility and attack helicopters.
The
U.S. Army and Department of Defense are seeking leap-ahead capabilities
and have identified a speed of 230+ knots as a key discriminating
capability.
The U.S. Army's current helicopter fleet cruises at 140 knots.
The new tilt-rotor is smaller, faster and much more manoeuvrable than the Osprey and has a top speed of over 300 knots.
The first flight of the next generation tiltrotor is scheduled for the second half of 2017.
The
V-280 tiltrotor will provide unmatched speed, range and payload, along
with unmatched agility at the objective, Boeing says.
The first flight of the next generation tiltrotor is scheduled for the second half of 2017. dailymail
Read more:
Bell-Lockheed Martin V-280 Valor
Sikorsky-Boeing SB-1 Defiant
V-247 Vigilant: Tiltrotor drone can transform between helicopter and plane
V-247 Vigilant, Bell says it
will 'combine the vertical lift capability of a helicopter with the
speed and range of a conventional fixed-wing aircraft'.
BELL HELICOPTER/LOCKHEED MARTIN'S V280 Valor
Sikorsky-Boeing SB-1 Defiant
Bell has unveiled a radical new tiltrotor drone that could be launched from warships to carry out attacks automatically.
Called
the V-247 Vigilant, Bell says it will 'combine the vertical lift
capability of a helicopter with the speed and range of a conventional
fixed-wing aircraft'.
It boasts the craft could be in service by 2023, and is able to take off from anywhere - even a dangerous ship's deck.
'The
Bell V-247 Vigilant is the next leap in innovation making the future of
aviation a reality today – it's a testament to the power and
versatility of tiltrotor flight,' said Mitch Snyder, president and CEO
at Bell Helicopter.
'The
unmanned tiltrotor is the latest example of how we are changing the way
the world flies, taking our customers into the dynamic world of
next-generation aircraft.'
The
aviation giant says the UAS is designed to provide 'unmatched
long-endurance persistent expeditionary and surveillance capability and
lethal reach, as well as runway independence to operate successfully in
maritime environments and locations without secure runway availability.'
The
bays on the Bell V-247 Vigilant are designed to carry high definition
sensors, fuel, sonar buoys, light detection and ranging (LiDAR) modules,
360-degree surface radar modules, an MK-50 torpedo or Hellfire or JAGM
missiles optimally.
With
its signature blade fold wing stow design, it will fit inside a DDG
hangar space, and two can be loaded on a C-17 aircraft.
'Leveraging
lessons learned from our extensive history and experience with
tiltrotors, we have found the best available solution to fulfill the
Marine Corps need for a Group 5 UAS,' said Vince Tobin, vice president,
advanced tiltrotor systems at Bell Helicopter.
'The Bell
V-247 Vigilant will give military customers the capabilities needed to
reduce the complexity of deployment, increase speed of employment,
reduce mission times and increase response time – all critical elements
to completing missions to save lives and protect our freedom.'
The
aviation giant says the UAS is designed to provide 'unmatched
long-endurance persistent expeditionary and surveillance capability and
lethal reach, as well as runway independence to operate successfully in
maritime environments and locations without secure runway availability.'
VIGILANT SPECS:
- Single engine tiltrotor unmanned aerial system
- 250 knots cruise speed; 180 knots endurance speed; >300 knots at maximum continuous power
- Combat range: 450 nautical miles mission radius
- Time on station: 11 hours
- Can hold a combination of fuel, armament, and sensors, up to 13,000 pounds
Air-to-air refueling
BELL HELICOPTER/LOCKHEED MARTIN'S V280 Valor
Sikorsky-Boeing SB-1 Defiant
Radical hypersonic engine to take to the skies
Sabre engine.
The Oxfordshire-based firm has been
developing a turbine that combines both jet and rocket technologies to
achieve rates five times the speed of sound, to fly anywhere in the
world in just four hours
'Fighter jet' sized 4,000mph engine that could go from New York to London in under two hours to be built
Plans for a
revolutionary hypersonic propulsion system have now taken a big step
toward the construction of a ground demonstrator – but at roughly a
quarter the size of the original vision.
Reaction
Engines Ltd has scaled back its design for the Sabre engine to bring
about a demonstrator that is more affordable and better suited to early
applications, including a potential X-plane.
The
Oxfordshire-based firm has been developing a turbine that combines both
jet and rocket technologies to achieve rates five times the speed of
sound, to fly anywhere in the world in just four hours.
Rather
than aiming for a demonstrator that can achieve more than 150,000 lb
thrust, the firm will instead now target an engine size capable of
roughly 44,000 lb thrust, according to Aviation Week Network.
In
the new plans for the Sabre demonstrator, researchers will target a
smaller engine similar in size to the F135 engine for the F-35 joint
Strike Fighter (JSF).
Such a
system, scaled back due to the slowness of funding, could be used in
multistage vehicles or hypersonic craft the size of an X-plane.
‘It
is now more affordable, more rapid to execute and will potentially find
its first application quicker,’ Reaction CEO Mark Thomas told Aviation
Week Network.
‘It’s
a quarter of Sabre, effectively. In an application for something like
Skylon, the engine would have four combustion chambers connecting to the
single nozzle, a bypass system and the same turbomachinery, intake and
heat exchanger.
In the new plans for the Sabre
demonstrator, researchers will target a smaller engine similar in size
to the F135 engine for the F-35 joint Strike Fighter (pictured)
FUTURE OF FLIGHT? HOW THE SABRE JET ENGINE WORKS
A model of the revolutionary Sabre engine is pictured
The
revolutionary Sabre engine could allow aircraft to take off from a
runway and accelerate to five times the speed of sound, before switching
to a rocket mode, propelling it into orbit.
The Sabre engine works by burning atmospheric air in combustion chambers.
It then uses the heat to turbo-charge the engine.
At
the moment, rockets have to carry liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen to
power them and the cost of carrying this heavy fuel is expensive.
The
new engine creates its own liquid oxygen by cooling air entering the
engine from 1,000°C to minus 150°C in a hundredth of a second – six
times faster than the blink of an eye – without creating ice blockages.
The revolutionary Sabre engine could
allow aircraft to take off from a runway and accelerate to five times
the speed of sound, before switching to a rocket mode, propelling it
into orbit. A computer generated image of the ground demonstrator is
pictured. dailymail
This
new class of aerospace engine is designed to enable aircraft to operate
from standstill on the runway to speeds of over five times the speed of
sound in the atmosphere.
It
can then transition to a rocket mode of operation, allowing spaceflight
at speeds up to orbital velocity, equivalent to 25 times the speed of
sound.
‘There
is a view that you could modularize the engine to a far higher degree,
so that you could have four compressors and still have a large heat
exchanger. From this point onward you could go completely modular, so if
you could demonstrate one element, then it is all about integration.’
Along
with a JSF-sized engine for the ground demonstrator, the firm plans to
solve the power gap between air-breathing and rocket engines.
While the engine is still in the design phase, the firm plans to see three main test phases stretching into the 2020s.
It’s
hoped that the first test will take place within the next 12-15 months,
the CEO tells AWN, with a focus on the heat exchanger and the core.
Rather than aiming for a demonstrator
that can achieve more than 150,000 lb thrust, the firm will instead now
target an engine size capable of roughly 44,000 lb thrust.
Pictured, an
artist's impression of the Lapcat A2 craft flying at Mach 5
Here, a concept of the Skylon
spaceplane using the engine is shown. But now, Reaction Engines Ltd has
scaled back its design for the Sabre engine to bring about a
demonstrator that is more affordable and better suited to early
applications, including a potential X-plane. dailymail
Then, the team will move on to the integrated engine tests in 2020-2021.
The
system will undergo sea-level testing, and researchers will simulate
high velocity air by heating the air flow. And, they will run wind
tunnel tests to assess flow conditions.
In the third phase, the firm is looking toward concepts of an X-plane or flight demonstration aircraft to put it to the test.
The
core will eventually be tested in the UK, meaning Reaction will need to
build a test facility with a hydrogen/air breathing preburner.
In July, it was announced that the European Space Agency has invested $11 million toward the development of the engine.
Along
with this, Reaction Engines announced that it had secured over $66
million in funding from the British government, with more than $55
million from the UK Space Agency, and the ESA contribution acting as the
final piece.
At
the moment, rockets have to carry liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen to
power them and the cost of carrying this heavy fuel is expensive.
The
new engine creates its own liquid oxygen by cooling air entering the
engine from 1,000°C to minus 150°C in a hundredth of a second – six
times faster than the blink of an eye – without creating ice blockages.
This
allows the engine to run safely at much higher power than is currently
possible, without the risk that it will overheat and break apart. dailymail
Lapcat A2 craft flying at Mach 5
The hidden horrors of Nagasaki: Confiscated photographs of the devastating effects of America's atomic bomb
The collection of poignant images
taken by Yosuke Yamahata, a Japanese military photographer, show the
flattened landscape, mass death and desperate plight of survivors
immediately following the nuclear blast in Nagasaki, Japan
Taken 12 hours after the blast – are revealed 70 years on
Haunting
photographs taken the day after the Japanese city of Nagasaki was hit
with an atomic bomb have emerged 70 years after being confiscated by
American forces.
The
collection of poignant images taken by Yosuke Yamahata, a Japanese
military photographer, show the flattened landscape, mass death and
desperate plight of survivors immediately following the nuclear blast.
Yamahata was tasked with documenting the destruction for propaganda purposes and arrived at the scene just 12 hours later.
Haunting
photographs taken the day after the Japanese city of Nagasaki
was hit
with an atomic bomb have emerged 70 years after being
confiscated by
American forces
Photographer Yosuke Yamahata, pictured in Shanghai in 1943 here, took the iconic snaps
Supreme Commander
Dwight Eisenhower (left), who later became president, shaking hands
with General MacArthur, who played a prominent role in the war against
Japan. The photo, taken in 1946, shows a rare moment of tenderness
between the two men, who are widely known to have disliked each other
later on
Supreme Commander Eisenhower carrying out inspection in the historic snaps, which have not seen the light of day for 70 years
Yamahata was tasked with documenting the destruction for propaganda purposes and arrived at the scene just 12 hours later
His haunting photographs encapsulated the devastation left behind by the atomic bomb
They were requisitioned following a
direct order from General Douglas MacArthur to seize and destroy any
such pictures to shield the true scale of the carnage from the public
back at home
The full album contains 24 photographs developed from Yamahata's original negatives
Some of his
photographs, which became iconic after featuring in a 1952 edition of
Life Magazine, are considered the most complete record of the attack's
aftermath. However some were confiscated by an unidentified US military
policeman in the months that followed, never to be seen again until now
Some
of his photographs, which became iconic after featuring in a 1952
edition of Life Magazine, are considered the most complete record of the
attack's aftermath.
However
some were confiscated by an unidentified US military policeman in the
months that followed, never to be seen again until now.
They
were requisitioned following a direct order from General Douglas
MacArthur to seize and destroy any such pictures to shield the true
scale of the carnage from the public back at home.
But
the military policeman kept hold of the images, which have since been
acquired by a collector, and are now being sold in the US by RR Auction
with an estimate of £38,000.
The full album contains 24 photographs developed from Yamahata's original negatives.
And
of these 12 were never published because, unbeknownst to Yamahata at
the time, they were taken using a defective shutter that created small
black dots on the finished product and thus made them surplus to
Yamahata's requirements.
The
lot also contains more than 200 photographs captured by the military
policeman, including candid snaps of General MacArthur and President
Dwight Eisenhower greeting troops and a personal account from Yamahata
about the horrors he witnessed.
The
unidentified US military policeman who confiscated the photos
An eerie picture of two Nagasaki survivors
In
this article, published by a Japanese magazine in 1962, he says: 'I
tried climbing up onto a small hill to look - all around, the city
burned with what looked like little elf-fires, and the sky was blue and
full of stars.
'It was a strangely beautiful scene.
'On my way, I began to hear the voices of dying people calling out, 'Water, give me water, please'.
'I stumbled over things in my path, such as the belly of a horse that had been charred to death.
'At
2am in the morning it was pitch dark so I couldn't see anything. But
after sunrise I saw that the skin had been exposed was a reddish
brownish colour.
'The victims faces were horribly inflamed. They brought to mind 'watermelon ghosts'. Even their eyes were burned.
'The
blacks of the eyelids were red and swollen as though they had been
turned inside out, and the edges of the eyes were yellow like the fat of
a chicken.
'Blinded people groped their way forward with both hands extended in front of them.'
Many of Yamahata's photographs were used in Japanese publications just a few weeks after the bombing.
He died aged 48 in 1966 of cancer, which is believed to have been caused by extensive exposure to radiation.
Soviet footage of A-bomb aftermath emerges
Many of Yamahata's photographs were used in Japanese publications
just a few weeks after the bombing
He died aged 48 in 1966 of cancer, which is believed to have been caused by extensive exposure to radiation
In an article published by a Japanese
magazine in 1962, the photographer said: 'I tried climbing up onto a
small hill to look - all around, the city burned with what looked like
little elf-fires, and the sky was blue and full of stars.'
Many of Yamahata's photographs were used in Japanese publications just
a few weeks after the bombing
The US's nuclear strike against Nagasaki on August 9, 1945, came three
days after a similar bomb was dropped on Hiroshima. dailymail
Robert
Livingston, RR Auction's executive vice president, said: 'When you hold
this album in your hands you get a feel for how powerful these images
are.
'These are the originals, not retouched, not fixed and have rarely been seen in public before.
'They
show us just how much of a devastating weapon this was, and what the
atomic bomb bomb did to the human body is pretty gruesome and disturbing
to see.'
The US's nuclear strike against Nagasaki on August 9, 1945, came three days after a similar bomb was dropped on Hiroshima.
These attacks resulted in the deaths of around 120,000 people.
Japan surrendered six days later.
The lot is being sold on September 25. dailymail
US atomic bomb strike against Japan on August, 1945
Meet the B-21 Raider
Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James announced the B-21 bomber will be called the B-21 Raider. The name represents the historically important role the new long-range stealth bomber will lead for the next 50 years.
The
Air Force’s long-range strike bomber that will replace the antique
B-52's developed during the cold war has officially been named the B-21
Raider.
The all-black plane has a distinctive, zigzagging shape and a low profile designed to make it hard to spot on radar.
It is 'projected to enter service in the mid-2020s, building to a fleet of 100 aircraft.'
The US Air Force
on Friday unveiled the first image of its next-generation bomber that
will replace antique B-52s first developed during the Cold War. The
all-black plane has a distinctive, zigzagging shape and a low profile
designed to make it hard to spot on radar
The
name was ultimately selected by James and Air Force Chief of Staff Gen.
Dave Goldfein after a panel composed of staff from AFGSC and
Headquarters Air Force determined the top-ranked selections from more
than 2,100 unique naming submissions.
'The
B-21 is intended to operate in both conventional and nuclear roles,
with the capability of penetrating and surviving in advanced air defense
environments,' The Air Force said.
'It will be capable of operation by an onboard crew or piloted remotely.'
Earlier
this year the US Air Force unveiled the first image of its new stealth
bomber when Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James provided the world
with the first glimpse of the project using an artist's rendering.
The rendering bears more than a passing resemblance to the Air Force's B-2 bomber, which is also made by Northrop Grumman.
However the new document reveals it may not be that accurate.
'The released rendering shows a flying-wing design not dissimilar to the B-2, although simpler in shape.
'It resembles early proposed designs that later evolved into the B-2.'
The
report also outlines the craft,s unmanned capabilities, saying 'Initial
B-21s will be manned, with unmanned operation possible several years
after initial operational capability (IOC).'
Nuclear qualification will also take two years or so after IOC, the report says.
It is designed to be launch from the continental US and deliver airstrikes on any location in the world.
At
an earlier event in Orlando, James revealed the plane - previously
known as the Long Range Strike Bomber - would be called the B-21 until a
new name has been agreed on, and she invited air crews to help.
The designation B-21 recognises the aircraft as the military’s first bomber of the 21st century.
'This
aircraft represents the future for our Airmen, and (their) voice is
important to this process,' James told the Air Force Association's Air
Warfare Symposium.
The new bomber is
a high Air Force priority because the oldest ones in its fleet — the
venerable B-52s — have far outlived their expected service life. Even
the newest — the B-2 stealth bombers (pictured) — having been flying for
more than two decades
The program has been shrouded in secrecy since its inception for fear of revealing military secrets to potential enemies.
The military also wanted to avoid giving the losing bidders any details before their formal protest was rejected last week.
The
Air Force wants 100 of the warplanes, which will replace the ageing
B-52s and the B-1 bombers that first saw action in the 1980s.
Industry
news reports say that while the new plane's specific capabilities are
highly secret, it likely will be equipped with high-tech communications
gear and other electronics that would allow it to perform a variety of
missions, not just dropping bombs.
The
new bomber is a high Air Force priority because the oldest ones in its
fleet — the venerable B-52s — have far outlived their expected service
life.
Even the newest — the B-2 stealth bombers — having been flying for more than two decades.
A third bomber, the B-1, is used heavily for conventional strikes, but no longer is certified for nuclear missions.
The
Pentagon in October announced Northrop as the winner of the contract to
build the bomber in a decades-long program that will likely end up
costing in excess of $100 billion.
But
work on the new plane was delayed for months while federal auditors
reviewed a protest by Boeing and its key supplier, Lockheed Martin.
Boeing
has now told senior U.S. Air Force leaders that it will not take
further legal action challenging the contract, Reuters said, citing two
sources familiar with the decision.
The B-21 bomber will replace Air Force
B-52 bombers, which have been flying for more than half a century.
Pictured is the B-52 Stratofortress entered service in the 1950s. dailymail
A pilot and co-pilot of a B-52 bomber
in an image taken in 1972. These bombers are not out of date at the Air
Force is looking to replace them with 100 B-21 bombers
The
Air Force, under pressure from lawmakers and retired Air Force
officers, has promised to release more information about the new plane
in March.
And the program has now survived the legal protest process, it still faces hurdles in Congress.
Senate
Armed Services Committee Chairman John McCain on Thursday said he would
block the Air Force's use of a cost-plus type of contract for the
long-range bomber since it holds the government responsible for cost
overruns.
The
Air Force says that only the engineering and development phase of the
program, valued at $21.4 billion, is structured as a cost-plus contract
with incentive fees.
Analysts
say the program will be worth around $80 billion in total, providing a
boon to Northrop and its key suppliers, but the Air Force has said only
that it expects to pay $511 million per plane.
John
Michael Loh, a retired four-star U.S. Air Force general, has urged the
Air Force to name Northrop's suppliers to shore up support in Congress,
and avoid a re-run of the B-2 bomber program, which was scaled back from
132 planes to just 21, which drove the price of each plane sharply
higher.
THE HISTORY OF THE B-2 BOMBER
The
first operational aircraft, christened Spirit of Missouri, was
delivered to Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri, where the fleet is
based, on 17 December 1993.
Twenty one aircraft were built in the original B-2 fleet.
The
B-2 has demonstrated its capabilities in several combat scenarios,
including Operation Allied Force in Kosovo; Operation Enduring Freedom
in Afghanistan, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and most recently, in Libya,
during Operation Odyssey Dawn.
The
B-2 is the only U.S. aircraft that combines long range, large payload
and stealth in a single platform, giving it the ability to project air
power anywhere in the world.
It can fly 6,000 nautical miles unrefueled and 10,000 nautical miles with just one aerial refueling.
The Air Force said it will buy 100 of
the new bombers at a newly calculated average cost of $511 million each.
Pictured is the a B-2A bomber from the 509th Bomb Wing at Whiteman Air
Force Base in Missouri. dailymail
With
its ability to carry more than 20 tons of conventional and nuclear
ordnance and deliver it precisely under any weather conditions, the B-2
also has the ability to change the outcome of a conflict with a single
mission.
Today,
the fleet consists of 20 aircraft, following the loss, in February
2008, of the Spirit of Kansas, which crashed while taking off from
Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, the only such incident in the B-2's more
than 20 years of operation.
Nineteen
B-2s are currently based at Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo., home of the
509th Bomb Wing, while one aircraft is assigned to flight testing at
Edwards AFB, California to validate software and weapon systems
upgrades.
The
idea is that the latest B-21 bomber, which is still on the drawing
board will replace Air Force B-52 bombers, which have been flying for
more than half a century.
It will also eventually the B-1 bombers, when they retire sometime in the 2040s.