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Originally Posted by PeriscopeDepth
I didn't know about this either. But me thinks it will never get past the concept stage. They couldn't even fund the last block upgrade in its entirety for the B-1.
PD
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That's because they planned to retire the B-1. Since Iraq and Afganistan however, military planners figured out what an asset this plane is. It carry's more bombs than any plane I know of - these planes in include the B-2 and B-52 - with 3 times the payload of a B-52 depending on what it is carrying!!! To a military planner, a single B-1 turned out to be a whole squadron of smaller fighters on the battlefield. So the 2001 decision to retire the B-1B was heavilly scaled back after it proved itself in our current wars.
This is where the B-1R comes from - military planners want even more capability. Seems like this plane can deliver, but I guess it always has to get past Congress eventually.
-S
PS. Here is the B-1B capacity for large JDAM's vs. other american bombers - notice that one single B-1 can carry more than 2x what a B-2 does, and 3x what a B-52 does! Now think what a B-1R would be like if it could carry even more!:
