LRS-B thoughts

a reply to: Zaphod58

Could you imagine the TR-3/Aurora combo? Hahah *ducks for cover*

originally posted by: B2StealthBomber
Could you imagine the Tier 3+ / Astra combo? Hahah *ducks for cover*

Yeah I could. Long loitering stealthy UAV over the Greenland / Iceland / UK gap with a mach 5 attack aircraft to hit incoming Soviet ships at speeds and height beyond their reach.

Good idea....oh...wait, what?

a reply to: B2StealthBomber

Careful, don't make Zaph smack you.

China is the new Soviet Union.


We need high and slow with sensors (mirroring Tier 3+)

We need high and fast for anti naval asset strike (mirroring Astra)

We need subsonic with VVLO capability for multi hour multi target strikes (conventional and nuclear) (mirroring B-2b in it ORIGINAL FORM, not the cut down bastard we see today)

We need VLO escort jammer... just like (see Graham Birdsall's photo collection)

So, in fact, what we see is a mirroring of the effort to anticipate and act on a threat that's far away and very heavily defended.

Surprised? moi? not at all. I seen how deep the Chinese have buried their aircraft shelters.

a reply to: Astr0

Gee just did a search and can't find his photo collection. Wish I could find it though. Would love to take a look at some of those pictures. A little odd he just died suddenly .

a reply to: BASSPLYR

HAH! Good luck with that one. They nuked, with extreme prejudice every single copy of those pictures that they didn't outright buy from him, for a RIDICULOUS amount of money. I've tried every way I could think of to find them, and they are just gone.

a reply to: Zaphod58



I won't do it, but maybe there is still a copy out there on the dark/deep web. That place gives me the willies.

a reply to: MystikMushroom

There might be. They were pretty thorough, but there could be one out there. I agree though, no thanks.

originally posted by: BASSPLYR
a reply to: Astr0

Gee just did a search and can't find his photo collection. Wish I could find it though. Would love to take a look at some of those pictures. A little odd he just died suddenly .

Could of had your very own if you had taken a camera

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: coldstar

I've been told, by a couple of sources, that as of January this year it was still flying. One of the things with stealth is that the skin is frequently changed, which changes the RAM coating. By the time it was retired, the F-117 skin was completely different than when it first flew, and much more effective. The same would be the case here as well.

The main driver of RCS, however, is shape. No amount of RAM is going to make up the difference. And in that regard we've made amazing progress since the 70's and 80's.
I'd have a hard time believing such a companion, if it existed (which makes more than a little sense to me), is still operational. Perhaps still flying, much like the F-117 as a test article or simulator of low-RCS targets, but the cost of keeping such a force updated and relevant (new RAM? sensors? engines?) would be substantial.

a reply to: _Del_

That's actually one thought that's out there, is that it's testing stuff, possibly for a new aircraft. But the places I heard it from have always been reliable in the past, and I have no reason to doubt them now. They were just as surprised that it was still flying.

a reply to: Astr0

Well then, feel free to release the kraken once more for me. I'll be at the regular place at the regular time to view it tonight. You just go ahead and tell your buddies to send her my way, just one more time. maybe I'll bring a camera. Probably won't post the photos though, if I get any. I like a relatively stress free life.

But your predictions were pretty spot on last time. Care to make it a two-fer?

originally posted by: BASSPLYR
a reply to: Astr0

Well then, feel free to release the kraken once more for me. I'll be at the regular place at the regular time to view it tonight. You just go ahead and tell your buddies to send her my way, just one more time. maybe I'll bring a camera. Probably won't post the photos though, if I get any. I like a relatively stress free life.

But your predictions were pretty spot on last time. Care to make it a two-fer?

This^

a reply to: Astr0

It's hard to believe that it went so well during the first 2 phases then suddenly got cancelled..

a reply to: B2StealthBomber

Isn't it though?

originally posted by: B2StealthBomber

It's hard to believe that it went so well during the first 2 phases then suddenly got cancelled..

If you do not have the three sides of the triangle, it collapses.

QUARTZ got canned as the DoD didn't want it over the Soviet Union (provocation and technology issues) (well, they did want it over the Soviet Union, just not found out about). Without its eyes, the mach 5+ anti naval asset vehicle got canned as it had no eyes to see, and thus no co-ordinates to strike.

The poor old B-2 then had to take the crapiola fest and turn from a pure high altitude attack airframe to a low level asset as well (cannot hit what you cannot see).

Which brings us to today.

Mach 5 asset? check.
High and Slow VVLO eyes on? check.
VVLO high and slow strike? check.

So, that's China wrapped up.

History repeats.

a reply to: Astr0

From what I heard about QUARTZ, I don't blame them for not wanting it over head without the right platform. If even a fraction of what I heard is true.....

originally posted by: Astr0

originally posted by: B2StealthBomber


Mach 5 asset? check. ---- LM's SR72 baby?
High and Slow VVLO eyes on? check. ---- RQ180?
VVLO high and slow strike? check. ---- B2, LSR-B?

Mach 5 asset? check. ---- LM's SR72 baby?
High and Slow VVLO eyes on? check. ---- RQ180?
VVLO high and slow strike? check. ---- B2, LSR-B?

Please edit that if I'm incorrect.

edit on 24-6-2014 by Sammamishman because: (no reason given)

originally posted by: Sammamishman
Mach 5 asset? check. ---- LM's SR72 bigger brother?
High and Slow VVLO eyes on? check. ---- RQ180?
VVLO high and slow strike? check. ---- B2, LSR-B?

Please edit that if I'm incorrect.

Edited.

China presents a formidable challenge - range to target is the worst of them, then the buried / moveable nature of so many of their assets, then the over lapping anti access air defences (which is gaining pace to equal the Russians at an alarming rate).

a reply to: Astr0

People don't realize how hard it's going to be if there's a fight involving China. Once they take Guam and Okinawa out, US fighter forces are screwed. By the time the fighters can get there, the pilots will have already flown hours in a cramped cockpit, and won't be in any condition to fight, while the Chinese pilots are fresh.

With the new missiles denying the carriers access, it gets even worse. The bombers will have a hell of a time fighting without air superiority, and there's no way to do it.