The U.S. Air Force has decided not to repair a B-2 Spirit stealth bomber after an emergency landing in 2022
The news of striking one of the precious B-2s from its fleet comes as the Air Force continues to move toward fielding its new B-21 Raider stealth bombers as replacements for its existing B-2s, as well as its supersonic swing-wing B-1 bombers.
Details about the Air Force's decision to get rid of the damaged B-2, which is set to formally happen sometime in the next year or so, were included in an annual force structure report
that the Pentagon released in April.
Aviation Week was among the first to report on this development. There are currently just 20 B-2s in the service's inventory, including the damaged one.
@LobbyChuckConstitution2wks2W
I went to college 10 miles from Whiteman AFB, back in the 90s. I took a job at the local furniture store assembling and delivering furniture. The other four guys I worked with had retired from the AF and stayed in the area. Two of them were MPs, and two were maintainers. The one guy had maintained SR-71s before transitioning to the B-2s.
He talked about how maintenance intensive they were. And that was almost 30 years ago.
The stories those guys had…..
@JudicialMadelynGreen2wks2W
Could it be that the cost of repairs to this B-2 are estimated to be more than the cost of a new B-21 ?
If that is the case, it might make some sense, considering the substantial value of the spare parts that will become available to keep the others flying.
The AF does what it does best: design great planes, but then cut production so there is little room for error or loss, and then costs way more than projected because it can’t be amortized. Same game plan with the F-22. I’ll bet anything the B-21 run will be cut to 30, 50 at most, when the time comes. In general the military reminds me of a toddler with a new toy. They interest fast.
@DearC4ucusIndependent2wks2W
Given the supportability issues, the cost of repair, the B-21 in early production, using the aircraft as a parts donor today to help keep the others mission capable makes the best of a bad situation. The parts can flow almost immediately, creating spares, adding margin and numbers to the overhauled parts availability which beats waiting years for it to be fixed.
Two choices, wait years to be fixed or strip it for parts today. It will fly again very soon, just not as an intact aircraft.
Given the supportability issues, the cost of repair, the B-21 in early production, using the aircraft as a parts donor today to help keep the others mission capable makes the best of a bad situation. The parts can flow almost immediately, creating spares, adding margin and numbers to the overhauled parts availability which beats waiting years for it to be fixed.
Two choices, wait years to be fixed or strip it for parts today. It will fly again very soon, just not as an intact aircraft.
@ISIDEWITH2wks2W
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