New U.S. Stealth Bomber Shrouded in Mystery

Nearly 30 years after the first U.S. stealth bomber took flight, the Air Force’s aging fleet is primed for a makeover; albeit an expensive one.

The Pentagon is looking to upgrade its stealth aircraft for the first time since the 1970s, developing a high-priority, super-classified, next-generation bomber.

The Air Force plans to award a contract to build and develop the Long Range Strike Bomber to one of the industry’s most powerful firms later this year and hopes to integrate them into the fleet by the mid-2020s.

Competing for the prize are Northrop Grumman, the developer of the Air Force’s current bomber, the B-2, and a partnership between aeronautic juggernauts Boeing and Lockheed Martin.

Before the House Armed Services Committee earlier this month, William LaPlante, assistant secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, suggested the Air Force will offer a “cost-plus” contract to the winning firm, meaning the government will take on the risk of any cost overrun. (Read more from “New U.S. Stealth Bomber Shrouded in Mystery” HERE)

Follow Joe Miller on Twitter HERE and Facebook HERE.