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B2 Spirit Stealth Bomber...

NFS4

NFS4

No Lifer
You always hear a lot about the B-52, but you never hear much about the B2. Have we been using them over in Iraq and has their stealth technology really paid off in war time?
 
Originally posted by: Toastedlightly
I thought the bombloads were realativly the same, the b2 is just heluvalot more expensive and new.
Click to expand...

Bombload
B-2: 40,000 lbs
B-52: 70,000 lbs

IIRC...
 
We have used them over Iraq. They're so stealthy they just don't mention them.

In fact, the night the first major air raids started, we all knew hours beforehand if you remember properly - because the airbase watchers saw the B2's leave - and then right on cue, stuff started exploding.

And I'd say it hasn't really been put to the test - since Iraq didn't have any air defense to speak of by the time they arrived.
 
Don't think the B2's have been used in Iraq in quite some time. They mostly use strike aircraft such as the F-18, F-18 and the F-16, which can be deployed and over the target area in a relatively short period of time. It can take well over a day to organize a B2 strike, because they have to fly from the US to Iraq and back in a single mission.
 
Originally posted by: EyeMWing
We have used them over Iraq. They're so stealthy they just don't mention them.

In fact, the night the first major air raids started, we all knew hours beforehand if you remember properly - because the airbase watchers saw the B2's leave - and then right on cue, stuff started exploding.

And I'd say it hasn't really been put to the test - since Iraq didn't have any air defense to speak of by the time they arrived.
Click to expand...

That's right!! Didn't they like take off from the midwest, fly to Iraq, then make it back to their base on one tank of gas? 😀
 
Originally posted by: Rudee
Don't think the B2's have been used in Iraq in quite some time. They mostly use strike aircraft such as the F-18, F-18 and the F-16, which can be deployed and over the target area in a relatively short period of time. It can take well over a day to organize a B2 strike, because they have to fly from the US to Iraq and back in a single mission.
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They had a couple of B-2's in the Indian Ocean at the base on Diego Garcia.
 
As far as I know, they're sort of a failure in the wars of today. Their mission was to be long-range bombers capable of flying unsupported and unaccompanied by conventional aircraft. Fly in, penetrate the air defences, drop the payload, fly out. They can do that alright - but the problem is that a B-2 bomber costs so damned much that nobody wants to risk sending one out to fly alone, or risk leaving the target's air defences intact prior to a B-2 mission. Imagine one got shot down? :Q This caution babies the B-2 and in effect makes its advanced technology and stealth almost wholly unnecessary.

Of course, in a war to end all wars where our air assets are limited and needed all over, they'd prove their use very quickly. But today, they're sort of a waste.
 
Originally posted by: Rudee
Don't think the B2's have been used in Iraq in quite some time. They mostly use strike aircraft such as the F-18, F-18 and the F-16, which can be deployed and over the target area in a relatively short period of time. It can take well over a day to organize a B2 strike, because they have to fly from the US to Iraq and back in a single mission.
Click to expand...

Yep. They got used extensively in the initial days laying down intense surpressive fire - the one thing the B2 can do which the B52 can't is make use of precision munitions. The only guided munition that the B52 can launch - cruise missiles - are preprogrammed.

The B-1b is a more direct replacement for the B52 - similar payload, guided munitions, semi-stealth, supersonic. Unfortunately it's apparently out of production (or somthing) - and as such the B-52 shall live on.
 
Originally posted by: yllus
As far as I know, they're sort of a failure in the wars of today. Their mission was to be long-range bombers capable of flying unsupported and unaccompanied by conventional aircraft. Fly in, penetrate the air defences, drop the payload, fly out. They can do that alright - but the problem is that a B-2 bomber costs so damned much that nobody wants to risk sending one out to fly alone, or risk leaving the target's air defences intact prior to a B-2 mission. Imagine one got shot down? :Q

Of course, in a war to end all wars where our air assets are limited and needed all over, they'd prove their use very quickly. But today, they're sort of a waste.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I remember when one of the F-117's got shot down in Kosovo (I think that was it). There was a big stink about how much the thing cost. Everyone LOVED the F-117 before then (seems as it rose to stardom after Panama and the Gulf 1), but when one got shot down in Kosovo, people started bitching like Oprah at a vegetarian eatery.
 
Originally posted by: yllus
As far as I know, they're sort of a failure in the wars of today. Their mission was to be long-range bombers capable of flying unsupported and unaccompanied by conventional aircraft. Fly in, penetrate the air defences, drop the payload, fly out. They can do that alright - but the problem is that a B-2 bomber costs so damned much that nobody wants to risk sending one out to fly alone, or risk leaving the target's air defences intact prior to a B-2 mission. Imagine one got shot down? :Q This caution babies the B-2 and in effect makes its advanced technology and stealth almost wholly unnecessary.

Of course, in a war to end all wars where our air assets are limited and needed all over, they'd prove their use very quickly. But today, they're sort of a waste.
Click to expand...

If you ever had to drop a nuclear weapon with zero warning to the target, they would be worth their weight in gold.
 
Originally posted by: NFS4
Yeah, I remember when one of the F-117's got shot down in Kosovo (I think that was it). There was a big stink about how much the thing cost. Everyone LOVED the F-117 before then (seems as it rose to stardom after Panama and the Gulf 1), but when one got shot down in Kosovo, people started bitching like Oprah at a vegetarian eatery.
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LOL @ Oprah.

The F-117A is a mean lookin' daughter of a bitch and I love her for that. 😀 I think the Yugos claimed to have shot it down but it was actually a technical malfunction - I could be wrong.

The first 21 B-2s cost $2.2 billion a copy.

Jesus! Well, at least we can be comforted by the fact that if war ever comes to us on even terms those B-2 will pay for themselves in spades. I pity the foo' who attacks a U.S. Air Force consisting of F-117As, B-52s, B-2s and F-22s.

< reserves this space for those who like to pretend that it's all about MiG >
 
Originally posted by: yllus
Originally posted by: NFS4
Yeah, I remember when one of the F-117's got shot down in Kosovo (I think that was it). There was a big stink about how much the thing cost. Everyone LOVED the F-117 before then (seems as it rose to stardom after Panama and the Gulf 1), but when one got shot down in Kosovo, people started bitching like Oprah at a vegetarian eatery.
Click to expand...
LOL @ Oprah.

The F-117A is a mean lookin' daughter of a bitch and I love her for that. 😀 I think the Yugos claimed to have shot it down but it was actually a technical malfunction - I could be wrong.

The first 21 B-2s cost $2.2 billion a copy.

Jesus! Well, at least we can be comforted by the fact that if war ever comes to us on even terms those B-2 will pay for themselves in spades. I pity the foo' who attacks a U.S. Air Force consisting of F-117As, B-52s, B-2s and F-22s.

< reserves this space for those who like to pretend that it's all about MiG >
Click to expand...

Don't forget the F-35 :laugh:
 
Originally posted by: NFS4
Originally posted by: yllus
As far as I know, they're sort of a failure in the wars of today. Their mission was to be long-range bombers capable of flying unsupported and unaccompanied by conventional aircraft. Fly in, penetrate the air defences, drop the payload, fly out. They can do that alright - but the problem is that a B-2 bomber costs so damned much that nobody wants to risk sending one out to fly alone, or risk leaving the target's air defences intact prior to a B-2 mission. Imagine one got shot down? :Q

Of course, in a war to end all wars where our air assets are limited and needed all over, they'd prove their use very quickly. But today, they're sort of a waste.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I remember when one of the F-117's got shot down in Kosovo (I think that was it). There was a big stink about how much the thing cost. Everyone LOVED the F-117 before then (seems as it rose to stardom after Panama and the Gulf 1), but when one got shot down in Kosovo, people started bitching like Oprah at a vegetarian eatery.
Click to expand...

That shot over Kosovo was a shot in the f'ing dark. They got LUCKY. They were literally using the SAM like a flak gun - just throwing missiles in the general direction of the target. They could tell it was there - they just couldn't lock a missile onto it. Unfortunately, one of the missiles actually acquired an IR target mid-flight. Blammo.

Everyone always knew infrared was the second biggest place for failure to occur on that plane (the first is the damned avionics crashing - one computer error and it'll drop out of the sky like a rock). The loss of one F-117 due to a problem everyone knew was there is nothing. It would've only been a problem if SpecFor hadn't gotten to the crash site before the natives. That could've gotten pretty dicey.
 
I recall them being used at the beginning of gulf war II, but as mentioned, why bother if a MUCH CHEAPER B52 can do the job, and carry more of a payload?
If you ever had to drop a nuclear weapon with zero warning to the target, they would be worth their weight in gold.
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Yep, and I bet that was a motivating factor in their creation. For all we know the US has a fleet of 500 of them and is about to take out Russian silos at any moment :Q
 
Originally posted by: EyeMWing

Everyone always knew infrared was the second biggest place for failure to occur on that plane (the first is the damned avionics crashing - one computer error and it'll drop out of the sky like a rock).
Click to expand...

"The Wobbly Goblin" 😀
 
Originally posted by: yllus
Of course, in a war to end all wars where our air assets are limited and needed all over, they'd prove their use very quickly.
Click to expand...

Those fvckers couldn't even take down a measily UFO in ID4 :laugh:
 
The B2 was made for Armageddon, but all we have are bar fights. The old '52 is still the best for many things, including little military conflicts like Iraq.
 
Originally posted by: NFS4
Originally posted by: EyeMWing
We have used them over Iraq. They're so stealthy they just don't mention them.

In fact, the night the first major air raids started, we all knew hours beforehand if you remember properly - because the airbase watchers saw the B2's leave - and then right on cue, stuff started exploding.

And I'd say it hasn't really been put to the test - since Iraq didn't have any air defense to speak of by the time they arrived.
Click to expand...

That's right!! Didn't they like take off from the midwest, fly to Iraq, then make it back to their base on one tank of gas? 😀
Click to expand...

pretty sure they had to ATA refuel a couple times on that run. its range is "only" 6000 miles.
 
Originally posted by: Yossarian
Originally posted by: NFS4
Originally posted by: EyeMWing
We have used them over Iraq. They're so stealthy they just don't mention them.

In fact, the night the first major air raids started, we all knew hours beforehand if you remember properly - because the airbase watchers saw the B2's leave - and then right on cue, stuff started exploding.

And I'd say it hasn't really been put to the test - since Iraq didn't have any air defense to speak of by the time they arrived.
Click to expand...

That's right!! Didn't they like take off from the midwest, fly to Iraq, then make it back to their base on one tank of gas? 😀
Click to expand...

pretty sure they had to ATA refuel a couple times on that run. its range is "only" 6000 miles.
Click to expand...

"Dis is da Bluebird, I be ready to refuel" :laugh:
 
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