Posted on 12/19/2022 11:27:17 PM PST by Olog-hai
The Air Force has grounded its entire B-2 Spirit fleet and will inspect each stealth bomber after one of the aircraft caught fire during an emergency landing earlier this month.
The multi-role bomber, which was first unveiled in 1989, is capable of delivering both conventional and nuclear munitions. The 20-aircraft fleet is based out of Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri.
A B-2 Spirit experienced an undisclosed in-flight malfunction that resulted in an emergency landing at Whiteman on Dec. 10. No one was injured. …
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
Lithium-ion, to meet the latest and greatest environmental regulations?
I saw one do a flyover at an air show several years ago. R. Lee Ermey got to ride in one for his show “Mail Call”.
Every single B-2 bomber we have are kept at one base, and that base has just one runway.
Here is a link to Google Maps that actually has an image of a B-2 off in the grass with a lot of vehicles on the runway: https://www.google.com/maps/place/Whiteman+AFB,+MO/@38.724381,-93.5493494,166m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x87c3f05b0abeb0a3:0xd38015c25b32833!8m2!3d38.7289955!4d-93.5605515
I went to Google Maps to confirm that there was just one runway, but then I noticed in a distant view what looked like damage to the runway right in the middle of the whole length. Turns out it was dozens of vehicles sitting out there. Then I saw the B-2 off in the grass with all kind of objects surrounding it.
They are not going to let that runway be used until this investigation is over. Meanwhile the entire fleet is grounded.
From wikipedia:
“The total program cost projected through 2004 was US$44.75 billion in 1997 dollars (equivalent to US$68 billion in 2021). This includes development, procurement, facilities, construction, and spare parts. The total program cost averaged US$2.13 billion per aircraft.”
hmmmm.... just in time to try to push for big B-21 contracts
“Air Force grounds B-2 stealth bomber fleet after aircraft catches fire during emergency landing”
Take that, Putin!!!!
““The total program cost projected through 2004 was US$44.75 billion in 1997 dollars (equivalent to US$68 billion in 2021). This includes development, procurement, facilities, construction, and spare parts. The total program cost averaged US$2.13 billion per aircraft.””
Note how the Leftist propaganda works here on military hardware they oppose (at least back the, but now we can use B2 in a nuclear war with Russia, so the Left LOVES them).
The Left folds-in the development cost into the price of each plane, which was at least half of the overall program cost. Wouldn’t be as big a deal if we built 132 of them, as originally planned, but when we build only 21 of them, it makes the per-plane cost look FAR HIGHER than reality.
If Boeing only produced one 747, the per-plane cost of that 747 would FAR EXCEED the B2’s per-plane cost, or any that of any other aircraft.
But everyone, even conservatives, sucks up the $2B number and never question it.
I guess math is ‘hard’ for them.
No, that is the reality.
Underscored by their having cut significantly how many on ‘em they actually want to have.
I didn’t say it was inaccurate, just deceptive, since the per unit cost of additional aircraft was about $500M as I remember...not $2B.
In any case it worked, and we wound up building next to nothing...which, with today’s Neocons itching to start a war with Russia, I’m glad is the case.
That is not the real per unit cost: what they cited is.
Signed,
A Humble Taxpayer
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