Pentagon’s $55B mystery plane is secret, but debate on cost is appearing

Post by TeMPOraL » Tue, Mar 03, 2015, 12:49 PM UTC

venomsnake wrote: post #28

adventured wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The problem with such drones, is distance. Let's say Iran decides to take that approach. Then the question is: how far can they push those armed drones out from their operating bases. The answer is: not very far. So no, drones saturating defenses isn't a serious threat to nations or regional strength, only to very specific targets that are nearby (eg an aircraft carrier & crew dumb enough to park off the coast of Ira…

The problems with such drones is not distance. When you remove the whole wetware, and the systems to keep it alive you can reduce the weight of the aircraft substantially. Also it is threat for exactly the regional powers. Iran does not care about US, it cares for Iraq, Israel, Saudy Arabia, Egypt and Syria.

Post by babby » Tue, Mar 03, 2015, 1:16 PM UTC

    Pentagon's $55B mystery plane is secret...

    ... The service estimates it will cost
    $55 billion to build as many as 100 of
    what it calls the Long Range Strike Bomber ...

Post by Pxtl » Tue, Mar 03, 2015, 1:24 PM UTC

DanielBMarkham wrote: post #35

I think the key question for space and aviation enthusiasts is whether or not the Pentagon is building a hypersonic suborbital manned bomber. If they are -- and it's a big "if" -- then that means the technology for civilian use is just a couple/few decades away. I haven't seen the numbers, but in my mind the market for suborbital commercial flights, say, New York to Sydney in an hour or two, is already there. It's a…

Post by madaxe_again » Tue, Mar 03, 2015, 2:01 PM UTC

johnnyyousef wrote: post #37

madaxe_again wrote: post #34

Aw, c'mon, nobody has mentioned Aurora yet? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aurora_%28aircraft%29

"Aw, c'mon, nobody has mentioned Aurora yet?" What on earth does that? "nobody has mentioned Aurora yet?" you've obviously checked nobody mentioned it, so why not just give us the link and say how it's relevant. "Aw, c'mon" what the hell is that? Who talks like that? What does "aw" mean? You're disappointed nobody has mentioned something is relevant? Why does that upset you? Why shorten "c'mon" from "come on" like th…

Post by bhayden » Tue, Mar 03, 2015, 6:04 PM UTC

enraged_camel wrote: post #24

c-slice wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think this is completely PR - they want to create buzz and excitement in the public for the "hot new spy plane" such that its politically impossible for congress to cancel the program/cut the budget.

I doubt it. There is a ton of war-weariness these days, and expensive military projects aren't very popular. Especially considering the utter fiasco that is the F-35 program, I really doubt the public is in the mental or emotional state to support another pricey project.