The
B-21 Raider, the Air Force’s new bomber now in development, will have as much in common with its Cold War-era predecessors B-1/B-2/B-52 bombers as the F-35 Lightning II has in common with its World War II-era predecessor P-38 Lightning.
For example, the B-21 represents a significant step forward over the 30-year-old B-2 Spirit, as the B-21 is being designed by Northrop Grumman (who also built the B-2) to survive against the most advanced modern air defense systems such as Russia’s S-400 surface-to-air missile system and China’s J-20 stealth fighter, which entered service in 2017.
The B-21 will be a marvel of contemporary manufacturing that takes advantage of the latest digital capabilities to improve design, manufacturing, and support. Digital development is a new direction in procurement for the Air Force and the Defense Department writ large.
By
Theresa Hitchens on February 25, 2021 at 5:40 PM
AGM-183A Air-launched Rapid Response Weapon (ARRW), Lockheed Martin image
WASHINGTON: Global Strike Command Head Gen. Timothy Ray is eyeing a new hypersonic cruise missile for the B-52 bomber the classified Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile (HACM) now in development.
“Certainly, we’re in the in the conversation for the HACM as that gets developed,” he told reporters today in the margins of the Air Force Association’s annual winter meeting. “I’m not in a place where I can give you the dates and times. But as the Air Force looks at … how we continue to go down that path, I believe the HACM will give us an additional set of capabilities that will be both fitted for bombers and for fighter aircraft. So I think it’s a pretty special capability to keep our eye on.”
Let’s Talk About NGAD Achieving The e-Series Status And What This Designation Means
Let’s Talk About NGAD Achieving The e-Series Status And What This Designation Means
A rendering of a potential Next Generation Air Dominance concept. (Photo: Air Force Research Laboratory)
The Digital Century Series, or simply e-Series, is meant to facilitate the U.S. Air Force and Space Force’s analog-to-digital metamorphosis.
In September 2020, Dr. William Roper, Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics and Secretary of the Air Force Barbara Barrett announced for the first time the “e-Series” or “Digital Century Series”. To better explain the concept, Dr. Roper wrote a guidebook, inspired by the 1999 film “Matrix”, which he titled “There is No Spoon”.
Air Force Acquisition Executive unveils next e-Plane, publishes digital engineering guidebook > Air Force Reserve Command > News af.mil - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from af.mil Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
In a follow-on to his Matrix-themed “There is No Spoon” treatise, Dr. William Roper, assistant secretary of the Air Force for acquisition, technology and logistics, released a sequel essay that establishes criteria for digitally-engineered programs, while, News stories from the United States Air Force Academy.