USAF reveal more details about LRS-B program

Northrop Grumman's Next Generation Bomber concept Ahead of announcing the winner to build U.S. Air Force's next generation bomb...

Northrop Grumman's Next Generation Bomber concept

Ahead of announcing the winner to build U.S. Air Force's next generation bomber, USAF revealed some details about the classified program that is still shrouded in mystery.

New details revealed by defense analyst briefed by the service indicate the Long Range Strike Bomber (LRS-B) program is in a more mature stage than previously presumed and disclosed.

The two competitors for the program, Northrop Grumman and a Boeing-Lockheed Martin team have two very mature designs, which have been extensively wind tunnel tested to prove the design along with parallel efforts to ready critical subsystems.

Continuing the heritage of the B-2 bomber, the LRS-B will be a flying wing design but significantly stealthier than B-2, capable of carrying both conventional and nuclear weapons and the ability to be optionally piloted.

The bomber will be powered by an advanced derivative of an existing engine, with initial operational capability slated for mid 2020s, and nuclear certification to follow after two years.

Boeing-Lockheed Martin's Bomber concept

The two LRS-B designs are generations ahead of B-2, and will have a significantly reduced Radar Cross Section (RCS), owing to new materials not available during the 1980s.

The multi-mission heavy bomber with global reach will be capable of carrying any weapons in U.S. arsenal in its internal weapons bays.

The unit price has been capped at $550 million as a design constraint, failure to meet will disqualify the bidder.

USAF plans to acquire 80 to 100 bombers of the type to replace the current fleet of 76 ageing Boeing B-52 Stratofortress, 63 Boeing B-1 Lancer strategic bombers and eventually even the 20 Northrop B-2 stealth bombers.

The B-52H fleet, which was last delivered in 1962 averages 52 years old and the B-1 in 1988, averages 27 years. The last B-2 was delivered in 1997.

USAF Bomber fleet: B-52H, B-1 and B-2 (bottom)

USAF is insisting the LRS-B to comply the Open Mission System standards, that will enable adapting the platform rapidly and affordably to changing scenario. Northrop has demonstrated OMS on its Global Hawk and B-2 aircraft, while Lockheed Martin on its U-2 ISR aircraft.

Unlike the B-2 program, whose unit cost ballooned to $2.2 billion when the requirement was cut from 132 to 21 aircraft, the LRS-B production will be kept low to keep the per year expense lower than before.

USAF has not released any specific details about LRS-B's range, payload, speed and size. Although combination of price, long range and payload indicate it would be a subsonic aircraft.

The program is managed by Rapid Capabilities Office (RCO), which also handles the secretive Boeing X-37B space plane program.