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Sherman A1

(38,958 posts) Thu Jul 9, 2015, 06:04 AM Jul 2015

USAF Secretary says long-range strike bomber decision imminent

WASHINGTON • The U.S. Air Force still aims to award a long-awaited contract for a new long-range strike bomber in August, but the decision could slip into September, Air Force Secretary Deborah James said Wednesday, adding it was crucial to "do it right."

Northrop Grumman Corp., maker of the B-2 bomber, is competing against team made up of Boeing Co. and Lockheed Martin Corp. for a contract that could be worth $50 billion to $80 billion to the winning bidder.

"The main thing is to do it right," James told Reuters in an interview. "We don't want to drag our feet but we don't want to rush because if you rush, you might not get it right."

The two teams are competing to build 80 to 100 new bombers for the Air Force at cost of no more than $550 million per aircraft, one of few new large-scale aircraft programs to kick off in recent years.

http://www.stltoday.com/business/local/usaf-secretary-says-long-range-strike-bomber-decision-imminent/article_d52dde77-95b6-5bd8-94e1-9e68bfa60cd1.html

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USAF Secretary says long-range strike bomber decision imminent (Original Post) Sherman A1 Jul 2015 OP

Odd, they are worried about not getting a bomber design 'right'. HereSince1628 Jul 2015 #1

Precisely Sherman A1 Jul 2015 #3

How many wars have we won since 1965? Zero? So it doesn't have to work good. Just cost $$$$. nt Romulox Jul 2015 #4

Finally: once this government "awards" these $$$$, WE WILL BE SAFE! nt Romulox Jul 2015 #2

The last manned bomber the USAF really "got right" was delivered in 1963. leveymg Jul 2015 #5

Agreed Sherman A1 Jul 2015 #6

No manned bomber is going to penetrate Russian airspace, so we should stop funding that mission. leveymg Jul 2015 #7

HereSince1628

(36,063 posts)

1. Odd, they are worried about not getting a bomber design 'right'.

Reply to Sherman A1 (Original post)

Thu Jul 9, 2015, 07:42 AM

Jul 2015

How many times, on the first try, has the USAF gotten the design of a bomber right since 1965?

Redesign, modification, modification, etc etc etc and of course the inevitable cost over-runs are the life's blood of the defense aircraft industry.