Why can't the UK buy a stealth bomber fleet?
Discussion
Gt6turbo said:
I noticed that under NATO conditions the UK will use f35a nuclear bomb capable carrying planes. But wouldn't they be useless at stealth.
Wouldn't a better deterrent be the new USA stealth bomber. Just seems pointless to use the f35s.
The F-35 is a stealth aircraft - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lockheed_Martin_F-35...Wouldn't a better deterrent be the new USA stealth bomber. Just seems pointless to use the f35s.
Which new USA stealth bomber do you mean? The B-21? That is still in development, and if its anything like the B-2 it will only available to the USA.
Gt6turbo said:
I noticed that under NATO conditions the UK will use f35a nuclear bomb capable carrying planes. But wouldn't they be useless at stealth.
Wouldn't a better deterrent be the new USA stealth bomber. Just seems pointless to use the f35s.
Why don't you think that the stealthy F-35A is not stealthy?Wouldn't a better deterrent be the new USA stealth bomber. Just seems pointless to use the f35s.
As for the UK buying the B-21 Raider, that's not even a consideration on costs ground, as its eye wateringly expensive, and US wouldn't sell the F-22 to anyone, and IIRC they've said the same with regard the existing B-2 and the new B-21.
Evanivitch said:
We are currently developing our own jointly with Japan and Italy. Some will pretend it's a fighter but it's a big enough aircraft with long enough legs to be a deep strike aircraft.
Won't have the payload of the B2 though - more strategic long range ground attack. But it would be good for the UK to actually have development experience of low radar signiture aircraft.Timbo_S2 said:
Evanivitch said:
We are currently developing our own jointly with Japan and Italy. Some will pretend it's a fighter but it's a big enough aircraft with long enough legs to be a deep strike aircraft.
Won't have the payload of the B2 though - more strategic long range ground attack. But it would be good for the UK to actually have development experience of low radar signiture aircraft.Gt6turbo said:
I noticed that under NATO conditions the UK will use f35a nuclear bomb capable carrying planes. But wouldn't they be useless at stealth.
Wouldn't a better deterrent be the new USA stealth bomber. Just seems pointless to use the f35s.
It's not meant as a strategic deterrent. Just a way of holding our own once a conflict has gone small scale nuclear.Wouldn't a better deterrent be the new USA stealth bomber. Just seems pointless to use the f35s.
Not so much using F35 to deliver nukes, more using nukes to allow F35s to make a bigger bang.
F35A can carry the B61 nuclear bomb in the internal weapons bay, so it is fully stealthy.
Not a chance the US sells the B2 or the B21. The B2 will be retired soon anyway as its getting old now and the more these aircraft are used, the more compromised their stealth capabilities become.
Not a chance the US sells the B2 or the B21. The B2 will be retired soon anyway as its getting old now and the more these aircraft are used, the more compromised their stealth capabilities become.
The f35s isn't fully stealth. The stealth bomber is. It is designed for that purpose from the ground up.
The USA lends nuclear weapons to NATO, why not see if the UK can acquire a proper stealth bomber. I think the USA would sell us one.
Just seems pointless, considering any nuclear action would need proper stealth and long distance , like attacking Russia .
The USA lends nuclear weapons to NATO, why not see if the UK can acquire a proper stealth bomber. I think the USA would sell us one.
Just seems pointless, considering any nuclear action would need proper stealth and long distance , like attacking Russia .
Gt6turbo said:
The f35s isn't fully stealth. The stealth bomber is. It is designed for that purpose from the ground up.
The USA lends nuclear weapons to NATO, why not see if the UK can acquire a proper stealth bomber. I think the USA would sell us one.
Just seems pointless, considering any nuclear action would need proper stealth and long distance , like attacking Russia .
We had nuclear weapons on Harriers and Wasp helicopters in the past. These are for if Russia comes to us.The USA lends nuclear weapons to NATO, why not see if the UK can acquire a proper stealth bomber. I think the USA would sell us one.
Just seems pointless, considering any nuclear action would need proper stealth and long distance , like attacking Russia .
Gt6turbo said:
The USA lends nuclear weapons to NATO, why not see if the UK can acquire a proper stealth bomber. I think the USA would sell us one.
The USA is in NATO so it isn't lending its weapons to NATO as such. The USA has 19 B-2 stealth bombers and have never sold one to another country, they are simply not going to sell any of them to anyone else. It is very unlikely that the B-21 will be any different, why do you think the USA would sell one to the UK?Gt6turbo said:
The USA lends nuclear weapons to NATO, why not see if the UK can acquire a proper stealth bomber. I think the USA would sell us one.
The USA will not sell B-21 to anyone, including the UK, just as it wasn't going to sell F-22 or B-2 to anyone.Even if they did, we can't afford it, a the expected cost of each B-21 will be $700m, and that's likely to rise, so 7 x times the cost of a F-35A.
Gt6turbo said:
Just seems pointless, considering any nuclear action would need proper stealth and long distance , like attacking Russia .
That's what we have Trident on the Subs for.The B-61 capable F-35A buy is about regaining tactical nukes, just as we had WE-177 for the Tornado's, Jag's and Buccs etc during the cold war years.
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