GAO: Tactical Aircraft: Changing Conditions Drive Need for New F/A-22 Business Case"

"BUFDRVR" wrote in message
...
Could have swore I saw something just a few days back indicating they are
actually now looking at bringing forward the new program a few years in
hopes of shortening the B-52's currently programmed lifespan.

Congress is leaning on the Air Force to get their (our) butts in gear.
Congress
is pushing this not to shorten the projected BUFF lifespan (projected to
2038,
beyond the B-1B), but simply to get the Air Force moving. Between 2018 and
2038
we will retire 97% of our existing bombers, I think congress is concerned
that
the Air Force will be forced into "crisis acquisition" if they (us) don't
get
moving *now*.

OK. Sounds like the folks on the Hill are doing something smart for a change
(though in all likelihood for all the wrong reasons--Representative
Shmedlap, having a chunk of Big Aerospace, Inc. in his district, wants to
ensure some long range development money flows into his district, etc.).
It'll be interesting to see which way such a program ends up going, with so
many disparate optional approaches to putting munitions on-target/on-time
being in the "possible" box. Given the typical development timelines for
modern combat aircraft (witness the F/A-22, Typhoon, etc.), an early start
would seem to be smart.

Brooks



BUFDRVR

"Stay on the bomb run boys, I'm gonna get those bomb doors open if it
harelips
everyone on Bear Creek"

OK. Sounds like the folks on the Hill are doing something smart for a change
(though in all likelihood for all the wrong reasons

I was cynical at first too, but it seems to be a general feeling, at least in
the Senate, that bombers have proven themselves extremely useful since 9/11 and
we need to ensure we have them in the future. I'm sure not every Senators
motives are that "pure", but many of the people speaking out won't gain any
thing for their constiuents with a new bomber program.

It'll be interesting to see which way such a program ends up going, with so
many disparate optional approaches to putting munitions on-target/on-time
being in the "possible" box.

Apparently the USAF position is; "hey, we were going to build a bomber that
could fly to anywhere on the globe from the mid-west of the U.S. in under 3
hours and drop hundreds of near precision munitions from 200,000 feet with
impunity....but the technology to do any of that is not available now, so if
you make us design a bomber now, you're going to get an improved B-2".


BUFDRVR

"Stay on the bomb run boys, I'm gonna get those bomb doors open if it harelips
everyone on Bear Creek"

On 21 Mar 2004 13:07:59 GMT, (BUFDRVR) wrote:

Apparently the USAF position is; "hey, we were going to build a bomber that
could fly to anywhere on the globe from the mid-west of the U.S. in under 3
hours and drop hundreds of near precision munitions from 200,000 feet with
impunity....but the technology to do any of that is not available now, so if
you make us design a bomber now, you're going to get an improved B-2".

In recent weeks Boeing engineers with tape measures have been observed
going over the British Concord on display at the Seattle Museum of
Flight. When asked Boeing officials would not explain this activity or
why the seats of the aircraft have been removed and what look like
bomb bay doors have been installed. Rumors are also circulating that
Boeing has put out an RFP for one set of very large decals printed
with "USAF BS-1". (BS - Bomber Supersonic)

With the recent flap over the Boeing 767 tanker contract could this BS
lead to a contract for more Boeing BS?

"Buzzer" wrote

In recent weeks Boeing engineers with tape measures have been observed
going over the British Concord on display at the Seattle Museum of
Flight. When asked Boeing officials would not explain this activity or
why the seats of the aircraft have been removed and what look like
bomb bay doors have been installed. Rumors are also circulating that
Boeing has put out an RFP for one set of very large decals printed
with "USAF BS-1". (BS - Bomber Supersonic)

This is HIGHLY classified! I'm going to tell Homeland Security about
you! The stealing of French technology is a very high political secret,
right up there with where we are keeping UBL until November.