A squadron of 20 proposed B1-R can complement up-coming 5th gen Joint Strike Fighters.
Bomb Truck - External hard points can load up to 22 beyond visual range AIM-120 AMRAAM (180km) fire and forget air-to-air missiles per B1-R. This allow the future 5th and 6th gen strike fighter force to negate potential aggressors' quantity has a quality of its own doctrine by turning the table on them, utilising B1-R "bomb trucks" and incorporating them into the force structure.
Super Cruise - all the way ...With not 2 but 4 Pratt & Whitney F-119 engines (also used by the F22 raptors) can go to a top speed of mach 2.2. It can go super cruise ( flying at twice the speed of sound) without using after-burners, massive savings on fuel, that enables the B1-R to extend on-station time. This speed also allows the B1-R to do e and e-ing (escape and evasion) back to base for fast turn-around.
Short Leg - However, the B1-R differs from the original/upgraded B1-B in that it losses the extended range of the latter by 20%. So not likely for the B1-R to do strategic bombings, rather it is designed more for regional defence augmentation. With this design compromise, its combat range is further reduce due to the need to fly tactical maneuvers.
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| B1-B upgraded cockpit |
17 May 2015
