US unmanned bomber proposal - Who do they want to kill this time?

[CerberusIV]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/3035332.stm

US plans hypersonic bomber

The United States is planning to build an unmanned hypersonic aircraft capable of striking any target in the world within two hours.
The initial description of the concept - called the "reusable hypersonic cruise vehicle" (HCV) - has recently been placed on the website of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (Darpa), the central research and development organisation of the Pentagon.

A conference of companies interested in the project is to be held soon.

The idea is that the HCV would take off from a conventional airfield in the continental United States carrying a 12,000 pound (5,500 kilogram) payload.


This payload would be made up from a variety of munitions, including cruise missiles and a new "glide bomb" dropped from space, called a Common Aero Vehicle (Cav).


Looks like anyone wanting to actually fly for the USAF in the future will be doing it from an office, not a cockpit. Presumably this is also intended as a replacement for the current generation of cruise missiles.

Given that a B-2 costs what, $100million or so, how much will one of these be?

Sorry there is not direct link but I had a bit of difficulty accessing the Darpa site.

[Eli]

Given that a B-2 costs what, $100million or so, how much will one of these be?

2 Billion is more like it.

[Ecthy]

nope, the cost for a single plane is $100m. 2 billion was the whole fleet of 'em methinks

[Eli]

No.
2 Billion dollars is the price of a one B-2.

[Eli]

I'm certain.

[CerberusIV]

My question about cost was more about how many of these they might be able to afford. There are only 2 squadrons of B-2's in service because of the cost. This program is likely to be fighting for funds just when the commitments to the F22 and JSF are at their peak.

[Ecthy]

musta mixed it up with an F-117. those fellas are cheaper.

[Eli]

This program is likely to be fighting for funds just when the commitments to the F22 and JSF are at their peak.

The first such aircraft is supposed to fly at 2025. I'm pretty sure that the US procurement of JSFs and definetely F-22s will be ready by then.

[Seeker]

"How will they afford them"

Transfers from useless social programs, education, and health care, with their bloated budgets....obviously what the typical American needs is a Hyper Cruise bomber.

[DinoDoc]

Originally posted by Seeker
....obviously what the typical American needs is a Hyper Cruise bomber.

Doesn't everyone?

[Paul Hanson]

I've got one. Trust me, they're not all they're cracked up to be.

[geeslaka]

No. Corporate execs need a Hyper Cruise Blamer.

[Andrew1999]

Considering the recent interest in nuclear weapons, and now a world-spanning unmanned bomber, it seems like it would be a lot simpler and cheaper to just use some of those nuclear-tipped ICBMs and SLBMs we've got sitting around doing nothing.

[The diplomat]

let's face it: a hypersonic unmanned bomber would be amazingly cool!

[Poogas]

Originally posted by The diplomat
let's face it: a hypersonic unmanned bomber would be amazingly cool!

That is true,


About the cost, eh, won't be that big of a deal. C'mon when has the price of anything ever slowed down the U.S??? How much are we in debt now, 6.8 trillion? and to our selves too.... thats just weird.