2015 ACC Strategic Plan

a reply to: Zaphod58

EMD? Engine Model Derivative? Do I get a cookie?

a reply to: MystikMushroom

Engineering and Manufacturing Design.

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: MystikMushroom

Engineering and Manufacturing Design.

I assume that the contract award for the LRS-B will be definitive before october first then also!

a reply to: spaceman42

The announcement will be for who is manufacturing the aircraft. The actual contract signature comes later.

a reply to: Zaphod58

So my money is on boeing/lockheed with boeing as the lead. Zaph that leaves Northrop with uav's and? Or do they get the really shiny/dark stuff?

a reply to: Bfirez

Lockheed is the lead, Boeing is the partner. There's the J-STARS replacement coming up, as well as them getting the RQ-4 upgrade/maintenance, and several other classified UAVs.

a reply to: Zaphod58

Well I was close. Suffice to say Northrop should be alright. Do you worry how ridiculously consolidated the industry has become or do you think it allows them to do more?

a reply to: Bfirez

They're sort of opening it up more. They're allowing European firms to compete for contracts. Not that they have a chance in hell of winning them, but at least they appear to allow them to try. Both the fact that only the Big Three ever can get a contract, and the profits involved are utterly ridiculous.

a reply to: Sammamishman

I can think of several countries that would buy them instantly, until the MBT is a relic of the past the A-10s will be around I`m sure.

originally posted by: Zaphod58
Really? The A-X is all you guys are noticing?

I noticed the LRS-B and Bone pairing up under the word Global, might not mean anything but here goes.

Could that be a hint at a hypersonic or higher supersonic platform capable at faster strike times? Maybe the culmination of the many technologies discussed here over the years has come together as a fast, silent aircraft with active and passive stealth systems with the capability of putting ordinance on target within a few short hours(minutes?) anywhere in the world?

Or

That selective modification part, and the recollection of posts mentioning very cool stuff being developed that will be able to be fitted to existing aircraft. Either way its exciting to hear about.

a reply to: StratosFear

No, Global Strike refers to the ability to hit anywhere in the world from the US without forward basing. But it consolidates all the bombers under one command, separate from ACC and the other MAJCOMs. That will simplify things for the bombers, and budgeting.

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: Bfirez

Lockheed is the lead, Boeing is the partner. There's the J-STARS replacement coming up, as well as them getting the RQ-4 upgrade/maintenance, and several other classified UAVs.

If they win this will be YF-23 political bs all over again...neither Boeing or Lockheed have the resources and management to handle this magnitude of a program especially with both having tanker and f-35. Both of those programs have their own cost and schedule issues.

EMD is engineering manufacturing development....I'm eagerly awaiting the decision.

a reply to: WeOwnTheNight

Skunk Works will handle the bomber. They don't have a lot on their plate right now, and have the production to build it. Boeing will be building the center fuselage, and some other portions, which they can do easily enough.

a reply to: Zaphod58

What I'm saying is they' don't have the footprint here in Palmdale to do all up production with out building new buildings and if their main programs are messed up currently I seriously doubt they could have a successful EMD program. I've also heard vice versa that Boeing is prime with Lockheed building sub assemblies and handling engineering. Boeing can't even get a standard plane modified for a tanker right how could they A. Possibly give them that much work and B. Have confidence they could handle it when they are currently moving top management to tanker. Northrop is primed and ready with all of the above...but that is my biast opinion lol.

a reply to: WeOwnTheNight

Boeing may supply the facilities, but Lockheed will be the prime contractor. If need be, they can use Boeing's Long Beach facilities. Now that the C-17 is done, those are just sitting there. Northrop has all the requirements, but their aircraft spend 90 days on the ground during the competition, and their fix has been long and expensive and only recently got up and going. The evidence is that they've given up on the bomber.

a reply to: Zaphod58


www.presstelegram.com...

Virgin Galatic will be using some of those buildings to build their new sat launcher. Long beach does not have the skill to build a stealthy aircraft both in eng skill and touch labor. The majority of that skill resides in Palmdale. I think that plan would be extremely risky. Northrop is definitely not giving up though. They gave up on tanker...this is their powerhouse.

a reply to: WeOwnTheNight

No, they're building that at the Mojave Air and Space Port, where Scaled Composites, and Virgin Galactic are, not at Palmdale.

That's the building they're building the super large carrier at.

Northrop just moved all but a small handful of engineers from the bomber to the 6th Gen fighter, as well as several billion dollars. You don't do that if you think you have a hope in hell of getting the bomber.

a reply to: Zaphod58
Why, if so Northrop communicate on the Super Bowl with a tease of the new bomber if they know they will lose the contest ?? Do you think there will be a lot of difference between two prototype with the same mission and goal like a new bomber ? the two competitor team may have the same technology in hand for my opinion.

a reply to: darksidius

Because the decision to shuffle resources wasn't made until a month or so ago.

a reply to: Zaphod58
I hope Northrop will be in the 6th gen fighter , Northrop inovate in the military design , in a month we will know who win the bomber contest and surely a lot of discution about it on ATS in a near futur. 90 days on the ground not a good news in a middle of contest.

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: WeOwnTheNight

No, they're building that at the Mojave Air and Space Port, where Scaled Composites, and Virgin Galactic are, not at Palmdale.

That's the building they're building the super large carrier at.

Northrop just moved all but a small handful of engineers from the bomber to the 6th Gen fighter, as well as several billion dollars. You don't do that if you think you have a hope in hell of getting the bomber.

This the mothership. I'm talking about the booster launcher one. I've been inside that Mojave building many times....the stuff they plan to do in Long Beach is different.