In 2004 the Air Force requested that the aircraft industry submit proposals for a long-range strike platform, for development beginning in 2008, leading to an initial operational capability in 2015 and full operational capability in 2020. Boeing submitted a proposal for a "B-1R", where "R" stood for "Regional", which would be fitted with the Pratt & Whitney F-119 engine used on the F/A-22. Four F-119s would give the B-1R a top speed of over Mach 2 and an operational radius of 4,800 kilometers (3,000 miles). It would feature improved stealth features and countermeasures, state-of-the-art radar, AIM-120 AMRAAM missiles for self-defense, and a new light air-to-surface standoff missile.
The Air Force was simply investigating options, and Boeing provided a set of other concepts, such as a long-range robot bomber, a ballistic missile with a maneuvering reentry vehicle, and long-range cruise missiles. Air Force officials have also given some thought to using the B-1B to carry new high-powered attack lasers now in development, but this is a purely speculative concept at this time.
Specifications (B-1R)
General characteristics
* Crew: 4 (aircraft commander, copilot, offensive systems officer and defensive systems officer) * Payload: 125,000 lb (56,600 kg) ; internal and external ordnance combined * Length: 146 ft (44.5 m) * Wingspan: o Extended: 137 ft (41.8 m) o Swept: 79 ft (24.1 m) * Height: 34 ft (10.4 m) * Wing area: 1,950 ft² (181.2 m²) * Airfoil: NA69-190-2 * Empty weight: 192,000 lb (87,100 kg) * Loaded weight: 326,000 lb (148,000 kg) * Max takeoff weight: 477,000 lb (216,400 kg) *# Powerplant: 4× Pratt & Whitney F119-PW-100 Pitch Thrust vectoring turbofans
* Dry thrust: 23,500 lb[206] (104 kN) each * Thrust with afterburner: 35,000+ lb[2][206] (156+ kN) each
each * Fuel capacity, optional: 10,000 U.S. gal (38,000 L) fuel tank for 1–3 internal weapons bays each
Performance
* Maximum speed: o At altitude: Mach 1.25 (721 knots, 830 mph, 1,340 km/h at 50,000 ft/15,000 m altitude) o At low level: Mach 0.92 (700 mph, 1,130 km/h at 200–500 ft/60-150 m altitude) * Range: 6,478 nmi (7,456 mi, 11,998 km) * Combat radius: 2,993 nmi (3,445 mi, 5,543 km) * Service ceiling: 60,000 ft (18,000 m) * Wing loading: 167 lb/ft² (816 kg/m²) * Thrust/weight: 0.38
Armament Guns: 1× 30 mm (1.18 in) GAU-8/A Avenger gatling cannon with 4.000 rounds * Hardpoints: six external hardpoints for 50,000 lb (22,700 kg) of ordnance (use for weapons currently restricted by START I treaty[87]) and 3 internal bomb bays for 75,000 lb (34,000 kg) of ordnance.
Air to air loadout: * 84× AIM-120 AMRAAM 24× AIM-9 Sidewinder * Bombs: o 84× Mk-82 AIR inflatable retarder general purpose bombs[142] o 81× Mk-82 low drag general purpose bombs[143] o 84× Mk-62 Quickstrike sea mines[144] o 24× Mk-65 naval mines[145] o 30× CBU-87/89/CBU-97 Cluster Bomb Units (CBU)[N 1] o 30× CBU-103/104/105 Wind Corrected Munitions Dispenser o 24× GBU-31 JDAM GPS guided bombs[N 2] o 15× GBU-38 JDAM GPS guided bombs (Mk-82 general purpose warhead)[N 3] o 24× Mk-84 general purpose bombs o 12× AGM-154 Joint Standoff Weapon o 96× or 144× GBU-39 Small Diameter Bomb GPS guided bombs[N 4] (not fielded on B-1 yet) o 24× AGM-158 JASSM o 24× B61 thermonuclear variable-yield gravity bombs[145] (no longer carried) o 24x B83 nuclear bomb[145] (no longer carried)
Avionics * RWR (Radar warning receiver): 250 nmi (463 km) or more[110] * Radar: 125–150 miles (200–240 km) against 1 m2 (11 sq ft) targets (estimated range)[107] * Chemring MJU-39/40 flares for protection against IR missiles.[209] * 1× AN/ALQ-161 radar warning and defensive jamming equipment * 1× AN/ASQ-184 defensive management system * 1× Lockheed Martin Sniper XR targeting pod (optional)
this bomber looks like fighter that was made bigger. They should get this bomber a cannon in the front. I read that they are adding air to air missiles to it which is good.
Cannon? Seriously doubt they dogfight in this rig... besides airframe limits and just fact that while it my have twice the engine power of the F-22(sharing the same engines as it) doesn't make you a better jet-fighter. Have your heard of the Russian Foxbat(NATO codename) interceptor?
It CoUlD go Mach 3, but only on a one way trip, after which it needed new engines. It was HUGE for a fighter, but trying to dogfight at Mach 3 let alone Mach 1, isn't really an option(given most Bullets fly about as fast as Mach 3 you'd almost have your own bullets flying back at you, or in fact you'd be flying into your own bullets). Gun-fighting is best done at below the speed of sound, where Missiles can be at times 50/50 or worse but a good (close)six o'clock position with a cannon is almost always a kill if done right. So the B-1 would B a Sitting goose trying to dogfight (w/a gun) anything other than maybe a Sopwith Camel biplane. So the Air to Air missiles would the second best bet, next to say the F-22/F-35 squadron(s) backing up the B-1R(s).
I was not just thinking speed I think about but the ability to evade and maneuver. The B-1 was design to be evade attach. If it has enough maneuverability then it can dog fight if intercepted along if it not outnumber. If bomber is much slower than fighter than it harder for it to evade and maneuver because the fighter can do circles around the bomber.
Fighters do have breaks to slow down to engage slower targets
Bombers are primarily made to be stable so their bombs/missiles have a stable platform to drop/fire from. Fighters on the other hand are made to be purposely unstable so they can maneuver quickly in a 'snap'. The size of the B-1 is quite a lot bigger than any fighter, so too goes its mass. I'd doubt it can snap turn as fast as a fighter or fast enough to be effective 'alone'.
There's a reason that all bombers now have no guns equipped on them for defense, Fighters are too fast to track. The last bomber that had defensive guns I believe was the venerable B-52, though those were only in the tail pointed behind the bomber, those have since been removed. The last 'Fully' gun equipped bomber was the B-29(circa 1945) which had remote operation of its turrets allowing on person to bring four or more turrets to bear on a incoming enemy fighter/interceptor. I've seen some WWII bombers have a sort of forward facing offensive guns mostly B-24 Liberators.
All modern bombers have to use either passive(aka Stealth(B-2)) or active(B-52 and above) ECM or Electronic Countermeasures to jam RADAR(be it either Missile or detection) to prevent or delay interceptors from getting to them. The original B-1a was designed to be a quick Mach 2 sprinter in and out of target area, the B-1b is redesigned to be more stealthy(redesigned engine intakes) and a low level Nap-of-the-earth (abbreviated NOE) style navigating where the bomber fly's below enemy radar at VERY low level, it still can reach Mach speeds. Ironically the concept that became the B-1 was studied since the 1950's!
I think that B-1R would do fine from long range attack. If interpreters are lunch far enough way from the bomber the bomber can lunch missiles to shot them down if detected. In close range I do agree that B-1R likely not able turn as sharp as fighter. I think only time it need fighter escort would be if fighter were able to get close with out being detected. The only question is how close it has to get.
It CoUlD go Mach 3, but only on a one way trip, after which it needed new engines. It was HUGE for a fighter, but trying to dogfight at Mach 3 let alone Mach 1, isn't really an option(given most Bullets fly about as fast as Mach 3 you'd almost have your own bullets flying back at you, or in fact you'd be flying into your own bullets). Gun-fighting is best done at below the speed of sound, where Missiles can be at times 50/50 or worse but a good (close)six o'clock position with a cannon is almost always a kill if done right. So the B-1 would B a Sitting goose trying to dogfight (w/a gun) anything other than maybe a Sopwith Camel biplane.
So the Air to Air missiles would the second best bet, next to say the F-22/F-35 squadron(s) backing up the B-1R(s).
Bombers are primarily made to be stable so their bombs/missiles have a stable platform to drop/fire from. Fighters on the other hand are made to be purposely unstable so they can maneuver quickly in a 'snap'. The size of the B-1 is quite a lot bigger than any fighter, so too goes its mass. I'd doubt it can snap turn as fast as a fighter or fast enough to be effective 'alone'.
There's a reason that all bombers now have no guns equipped on them for defense, Fighters are too fast to track. The last bomber that had defensive guns I believe was the venerable B-52, though those were only in the tail pointed behind the bomber, those have since been removed. The last 'Fully' gun equipped bomber was the B-29(circa 1945) which had remote operation of its turrets allowing on person to bring four or more turrets to bear on a incoming enemy fighter/interceptor. I've seen some WWII bombers have a sort of forward facing offensive guns mostly B-24 Liberators.
All modern bombers have to use either passive(aka Stealth(B-2)) or active(B-52 and above) ECM or Electronic Countermeasures to jam RADAR(be it either Missile or detection) to prevent or delay interceptors from getting to them. The original B-1a was designed to be a quick Mach 2 sprinter in and out of target area, the B-1b is redesigned to be more stealthy(redesigned engine intakes) and a low level Nap-of-the-earth (abbreviated NOE) style navigating where the bomber fly's below enemy radar at VERY low level, it still can reach Mach speeds. Ironically the concept that became the B-1 was studied since the 1950's!