General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsUSAF Secretary says long-range strike bomber decision imminent
WASHINGTON The U.S. Air Force still aims to award a long-awaited contract for a new long-range strike bomber in August, but the decision could slip into September, Air Force Secretary Deborah James said Wednesday, adding it was crucial to "do it right."
Northrop Grumman Corp., maker of the B-2 bomber, is competing against team made up of Boeing Co. and Lockheed Martin Corp. for a contract that could be worth $50 billion to $80 billion to the winning bidder.
"The main thing is to do it right," James told Reuters in an interview. "We don't want to drag our feet but we don't want to rush because if you rush, you might not get it right."
The two teams are competing to build 80 to 100 new bombers for the Air Force at cost of no more than $550 million per aircraft, one of few new large-scale aircraft programs to kick off in recent years.
http://www.stltoday.com/business/local/usaf-secretary-says-long-range-strike-bomber-decision-imminent/article_d52dde77-95b6-5bd8-94e1-9e68bfa60cd1.html
HereSince1628
(36,063 posts)How many times, on the first try, has the USAF gotten the design of a bomber right since 1965?
Redesign, modification, modification, etc etc etc and of course the inevitable cost over-runs are the life's blood of the defense aircraft industry.
Sherman A1
(38,958 posts)perhaps they could look to the F 35 program for guidance....
Romulox
(25,960 posts)Romulox
(25,960 posts)leveymg
(36,418 posts)All subsequent versions have been instantly obsolete since.
One wonders, why we don't just build more of those. After all the design work is done and they continue to be pretty good airplanes.