World

What we know about the new US B-21 Raider Stealth bomber

Published

2 years ago

December 1, 2022

What we know about the new US B-21 Raider Stealth bomber

For the primary time in additional than 30 years, the US Air Pressure is unveiling a brand new stealth bomber. The B-21 Raider is anticipated to be proven to the world Friday.

The subsequent-generation stealthy long-range strategic bomber is designed to finally exchange the ageing B-1 Lancer and B-2 Spirit plane and change into the spine of the US Air Pressure’s bomber fleet.

Remarkably for a big weapons programme, the B-21 has are available in on time and reportedly inside the $25.1bn funds the US Air Pressure allotted it in 2010. Northrop Grumman, which has been creating the bomber, seems to have discovered from classes that befell earlier high-profile programmes just like the F-35 and the B-2 bombers.

The 34-year-old B-2 Spirit was a era forward of its time. The superior supplies coating the plane, mixed with the form of the airframe and engine inlets, meant its radar signature was minute, rendering it just about “invisible” to radar.

This allowed the plane to conduct long-range strike missions in highly-defended areas with an excellent probability of surviving the mission, one thing different bombers, just like the B-1 and the venerable B-52 would have little probability of succeeding at.

Undetected, the B-2 can already destroy high-value targets deep in enemy territory with little to no warning.

So what makes its successor, the B-21, so particular?

Extra of the identical?

The programme has been extremely categorised and Northrop Grumman has launched few particulars in regards to the challenge, however some data has trickled out in printed studies.

The B-21 Raider clearly attracts a number of its designs from its predecessor, such because the flying wing idea with its engines embedded and configured to effectively cut back its radar signature.

The airframe is barely smaller than the B-2: its payload – the quantity of ordinance, bombs and missiles it could actually carry – is sort of halved.

It’s not notably quick – designed to fly at excessive subsonic speeds – and it isn’t the quantum leap the B-2 stealth bomber was when it was first launched in 1988.

It’s, nevertheless, considerably cheaper, each to purchase and preserve. The B-2 was horrendously costly to maintain airworthy and the B-21 will drastically decrease the toll in cash and man-hours wanted in its repairs. Cheaper planes usually tend to be purchased in larger numbers. 100 plane have initially been slated for manufacturing with that determine more likely to rise if prices might be saved down.

What’s new?

Whereas stealth is a chief attribute, it’s certainly not the B-21’s solely high quality. What the Air Pressure, and the US navy as an entire, have been working to construct is a strong, distributed community of long-range sensors and strike platforms that transmit and share huge quantities of knowledge in regards to the enemy they’re combating.

The B-21 suits into this new technique community completely, in a position to collect intelligence a few potential enemy or space and to hold out a strike. In different phrases, it could actually collect and relay data to pleasant plane, satellites, radars and extra, and it’s also an offensive weapon, in a position to destroy targets inside its vary.

Lengthy-range strikes could also be its major mission however the B-21 bomber will be capable of collect and share intelligence, serving to direct its personal fleet of weapons that may in flip destroy a number of targets. Briefly, its “mind” is its most beneficial asset and using open-source software program will enable the plane to be simply upgraded – making certain it stays versatile and cutting-edge whereas severely extending its helpful life.

The plane might be flown in a manned and unmanned configuration and its inner weapons bays will enable it to hold the newest long-range stealth missiles just like the JASSM (Joint Air to Floor Stand-off Missile) in addition to different standard and nuclear payloads.

Stealth underneath menace?

These attributes are all very important if the plane goes to outlive. There are already studies that advances in quantum radar might enable stealth plane to be detected. China claims to have fielded a radar its navy says can detect the stealthiest plane, an assertion rejected by Western specialists.

Nonetheless, that is an space of intense focus particularly given the plain navy functions. For many years, stealth plane have dominated the skies, so with a quantum radar that really labored, the numerous benefits US stealth plane have loved would disappear in a single day. Usually unseen and invulnerable plane may very well be detected and shot down.

Even with out stealth, the B-21s’ different attributes are what makes it such a lethal plane. It might take up data at a far better price than its rivals – that means it’s going to know the place the enemy is and the place its personal property are – becoming into an unlimited framework of lethal platforms that may be capable of destroy their targets from a good distance off.

This capability to collect, take up and assimilate huge quantities of knowledge, the B-21’s prolonged means to maintain being up to date, and its each sensor being the newest and strongest is what’s going to make the Raider the potent weapon it has been designed to be.

The B-21’s rollout on Friday means the beginning of years of growth, tweaking, refining and fine-tuning because the bomber undergoes fixed checks, first on the bottom after which within the air underneath an unlimited number of circumstances (earlier than it is going to be lastly inducted into the US Air Pressure).

However it’s already underneath approach to being one of many weapons any potential adversary will worry most as there could be little to no warning of its arrival deep inside an enemy’s air area. It’s this deterrent issue that can be a part of the thought calculus of any close to competitor when contemplating navy motion.

China, having seen the United Acknowledged area stealth bombers for many years, has now sped up analysis into constructing its personal, the Xian H-20 stealth deep-penetration bomber. The B-21 Raider could have its challengers.

Related Topics:aviation Featured Military news nuclear weapons Politics united states US & Canada Weapons

Click to comment

World

Five journalists killed in Israeli strike near Gaza hospital

Published

40 minutes ago

December 25, 2024

Press Room

Journalists from Al-Quds Today were covering events at al-Awda Hospital when their vehicle was struck.

Five journalists have been killed in an Israeli strike in the vicinity of a hospital in central Gaza, according to Palestinian authorities and media reports.

The journalists from the Al-Quds Today channel were covering events near al-Awda Hospital, located in the Nuseirat refugee camp, when their broadcasting van was hit by an Israeli air strike, Al Jazeera’s Anas al-Sharif reported early on Thursday morning.

Footage from the scene circulating on social media shows a vehicle engulfed in flames.

A screenshot taken from a video of the white-coloured van shows the word “press” in large red lettering across the back of the vehicle.

The deceased journalists have been named as Fadi Hassouna, Ibrahim al-Sheikh Ali, Mohammed al-Ladah, Faisal Abu al-Qumsan and Ayman al-Jadi.

Al Jazeera’s Anas al-Sharif said that Ayman al-Jadi had been waiting for his wife in front of the hospital while she was in labour to give birth to their first child.

Breaking: Five journalists lost their lives after their vehicle was incinerated in an Israeli airstrike targeting the broadcasting van of “Al-Quds Today” channel while covering events near Al-Awda Hospital in the Nuseirat refugee camp, central Gaza Strip. pic.twitter.com/oiAmxgZwO5
— أنس الشريف Anas Al-Sharif (@AnasAlSharif0) December 26, 2024

Civil defence teams retrieved the bodies of the victims and extinguished a fire at the scene, the Quds News Network said.

There was no immediate comment from Israeli authorities.

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) earlier this month condemned Israel’s killing of four Palestinian journalists in the space of a week, calling on the international community to hold the country accountable for its attacks against the media.

At least 141 journalists have been killed in Israel’s war in Gaza since October 7, 2023, according to the CPJ.

World

Consejos para disfrutar de las celebraciones de fin de año, sin estrés

Published

10 hours ago

December 25, 2024

Press Room

Consejos para disfrutar de las celebraciones de fin de año, sin estrés

NUEVA YORK (AP) — Todos conocemos los factores de estrés: obligaciones sociales, rencillas familiares, divisiones políticas, estrés financiero y el deseo de mantenerse alegre y generoso todo el tiempo.

Así que aquí va un recordatorio sobre cómo desterrar a tu perfeccionista interior y disfrutar verdaderamente de la temporada festiva:

“Realmente ayuda dejar de lado algunos de los ‘deberías’”, dice Lynn F. Bufka, jefa de práctica de la Asociación Estadounidense de Psicología. “Decide cuál es la cosa que más importa, y las cosas que te brindan más alegría, y suelta las demás”.

Las tradiciones pueden cambiar y evolucionar, y cuanto más flexibles sean las cosas, más fácil será para todos, dice Bufka.

“Concentra tu energía en crear un espacio cálido para que las personas que amas se reúnan y relajen, se pongan al día y celebren unos a otros. Eso es literalmente todo lo que importa”, concuerda Lauren Iannotti, editora en jefe de Real Simple.

Algunos consejos:

Concéntrate en lo que te hace feliz

Podrías decidir que la conversación es tu objetivo principal y no preocuparte en absoluto por la decoración, dice Bufka. O si la decoración de la mesa es lo que amas, invierte tu energía allí y no te preocupes tanto por otros aspectos.

“Idealmente, debería tratarse de enfocarse en el amor, y eso no significa lo mismo para todos”, dice Bufka.

Permite que otros hagan las cosas por ti.

“La gente quiere ayudar, ¡déjalos!”, dice Iannotti. “Si no te ENCANTA cocinar todas esas guarniciones, o tienes poco tiempo, no hay ninguna vergüenza en aceptar que tu hermana haga el relleno. O busca ayuda de los profesionales: apoya a un restaurante local haciendo un pedido de catering”.

Otra opción es que “cada uno traiga un plato distintivo”, dice Ianotti. “Ahorrarás tiempo y dinero en la preparación y la cocina y tus invitados podrán mostrar sus habilidades”.

Darte permiso para tomar atajos

“Está bien si la casa está un poco desordenada o si la cena se sirve unos minutos tarde”, dice Iannotti. “Si las personas que has invitado están más interesadas en evaluar tu desempeño que en pasar un buen rato, pueden discutirlo con su terapeuta”. (Por cierto, no lo están, añade ella).

Y no dudes en dejar que la gente se sirva por sí misma, cuando sea posible. “Si no tienes tiempo para jugar a ser el barman, crea una bebida insignia con anticipación que puedas servir a todos tus invitados. También puedes simplemente dejar algunos mezcladores para que los invitados se sirvan y hagan sus propias creaciones”, sugiere Caroline Utz, directora editorial y de estrategia en The Spruce.

Está bien tener tiempo a solas

Las cosas funcionarán lo suficientemente bien si no lo supervisas todo, así que cuídate. Tómate pausas o caminatas si eso te ayuda a mantenerte centrado.

“Aunque el mindfulness se está convirtiendo en un término demasiado utilizado en la sociedad actual, hay algo valioso que podemos tomar de esto y aplicar a la temporada de fin de año”, dice Brook Choulet, psiquiatra deportiva y de rendimiento de concierge y fundadora de Choulet Performance Psychiatry.

Ella recomienda “programar microdescansos intencionales” para hacer algo que disfrutes.

“Por ejemplo, podrías programar una llamada telefónica con un amigo de otro estado, tomar un paseo de 15 minutos al aire libre, o incluso ajustar el temporizador y tomar un baño de 15 minutos sin interrupciones”, dijo.

Espera algo de discordia y no te alarmes por ello

“Si te preocupa la polarización y entrar en conversaciones incómodas, intenta pensar en maneras en que puedas terminar una conversación o cambiarla de dirección”, dice Bufka.

Ella recomienda preparar algunas frases de antemano para ayudar a terminar la conversación o cambiarla de dirección.

En resumen, tener la intención de una temporada festiva menos perfecta puede ser justo lo que necesitas.

___

Katherine Roth cubre temas de vida y estilo y otros temas para The Associated Press desde Nueva York.

___

Esta historia fue traducida del inglés por un editor de AP con la ayuda de una herramienta de inteligencia artificial generativa.

World

Azerbaijan Airlines plane headed to Russia crashes hundreds of miles off course, dozens feared dead

Published

11 hours ago

December 25, 2024

Press Room

Azerbaijan Airlines plane headed to Russia crashes hundreds of miles off course, dozens feared dead

Dozens of passengers are feared dead after an Azerbaijan Airlines flight crashed near the city of Aktau in Kazakhstan on Wednesday, reports say.

The Embraer 190 passenger jet flying from Azerbaijan to Russia had 62 passengers and five crew on board, Kazakh authorities announced, saying 32 survivors had been rescued.

Flight J2-8243 had flown hundreds of miles off its scheduled route to crash on the opposite shore of the Caspian Sea. Officials did not immediately explain why it had crossed the sea, but the crash came shortly after drone strikes hit southern Russia. Drone activity has shut airports in the area in the past and the nearest Russian airport on the plane’s flight path was closed on Wednesday morning.

Russia’s aviation watchdog, meanwhile, said it was an emergency that may have been caused by a bird strike.

MORE THAN 30 DEAD IN BRAZIL BUS AND TRUCK COLLISION

In this photo taken from a video released by the administration of Mangystau region, the wreckage of Azerbaijan Airlines Embraer 190 lies on the ground near the airport of Aktau, Kazakhstan, Wednesday, Dec. 25, 2024. (The Administration of Mangystau Region/AP Photo)

Those aboard the plane included 42 Azerbaijani citizens, 16 Russian nationals, six Kazakhstani and three Kyrgyzstani citizens, according to Kazakhstani officials.

Russian news agency Interfax reported that both pilots died in the crash, citing a preliminary assessment by emergency workers at the scene. The news agency also quoted medical workers who stated that four bodies had been recovered from the crash so far.

A total of 29 survivors, including two children, have been hospitalized, the ministry told Russia’s state news agency, RIA Novosti, the Associated Press reported. Many passengers have yet to be accounted for.

MALAYSIA AGREES TO RESUME ‘NO FIND, NO FEE’ HUNT FOR FLIGHT MH370, 10 YEARS AFTER PLANE DISAPPEARED

More than 30 are feared dead following the crash near the Kazakhstani city of Aktau. (Azamat Sarsenbayev/AP Photo)

Video of the crash showed the plane descending rapidly before bursting into flames as it hit the seashore, and thick black smoke then rising, Reuters reported. Bloodied and bruised passengers could be seen stumbling from a piece of the fuselage that had remained intact.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, who had been traveling to Russia, returned to Azerbaijan upon hearing news of the crash, the president’s press service said. Aliyev was due to attend an informal meeting of leaders of the Commonwealth of Independent States, a bloc of former Soviet countries founded after the collapse of the Soviet Union, in St. Petersburg.

Emergency crews at the site of the Azerbaijani airliner crash on Dec. 25, 2024. (Azamat Sarsenbayev/AP Photo)

Aliyev expressed his condolences to the families of the victims in a statement on social media.

“It is with deep sadness that I express my condolences to the families of the victims and wish a speedy recovery to those injured,” he wrote.

He also signed a decree declaring Dec. 26 a day of mourning in Azerbaijan.

The plane was en route from the Azerbaijani capital of Baku to the Russian city of Grozny in the North Caucasus, the Associated Press reports. (The Administration of Mangystau Region/AP Photo)

In a statement, Azerbaijan Airlines said it would keep members of the public updated and changed its social media banners to solid black.

“We ask God for mercy on the passengers and crew members who lost their lives,” a translated statement on X said. “Their pain is our pain. We wish a speedy recovery to those injured.”

Reuters and the Associated Press contributed to this report.