Agrégateur de flux

Un juge, saisi par la Métropole de Lyon, dans le centre-est de la France, a ordonné une expertise indépendante pour évaluer la responsabilité des industriels Daikin et Arkema dans la pollution aux PFAS, en aval de la ville, selon une décision consultée mardi par l'AFP.

La ville de Goma accueille, ce mardi 6 août, la toute première réunion du comité de pilotage du projet de Stabilisation et de relèvement de l'Est de la RDC (STAR-Est).

L’objectif de cette réunion, selon le vice-Premier ministre de l’Intérieur, Jacquemin Shabani, est de lancer officiellement le projet en amenant les bénéficiaires à s’en approprier et de valider le plan du travail.

Summary and Key Points: The Ford and Nimitz classes are America's most modern aircraft carriers, each with distinct advancements. The Nimitz uses a steam-powered catapult system, while the Ford features the more efficient Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS).

-For landing, the Nimitz employs the MK 7 Aircraft Recovery System, whereas the Ford uses the Advanced Arresting Gear (AAG) system, designed to handle a wider range of aircraft with less maintenance.

-These differences highlight the technological evolution in carrier operations, improving sortie rates and reducing costs.

Ford-Class vs. Nimitz-Class: Aircraft Carriers from Different Generations 

Since the invention of the aircraft carrier in the early twentieth century, the general design of the hallmark vessel has remained unchanged. Aircraft carriers are, invariably, a vessel built to transport, launch, and land aircraft.

Accordingly, aircraft carriers have a runway atop what is generally a massive hull with the capacity to house large crews, large amounts of aircraft, and all that is necessary to sustain both crew and aircraft. But, of course, the specifics can change from aircraft carrier to aircraft carrier. The runway. The launching system. The radar systems. The propulsion systems. The crew quarters. Plenty of opportunity for variation exists in what is functionally both a floating city and a floating air base.

Let’s take a look at the differences between America’s two most modern classes of aircraft carriers, the Ford and the Nimitz.

Launching System

Vital to the function of any aircraft carrier is the ability to launch aircraft. In the early days of aircraft carriers, prop planes would simply take off from the carrier deck, generating enough momentum and lift, of their own accord, to be able to take off within the length of runway that the aircraft carrier deck allowed. But modern American supercarriers, launching modern jets, rely on a catapult system. The catapult hitches to the jet’s wheel and slingshot the jet forward, building speed quickly and seamlessly.

The Nimitz and Ford have different types of catapult systems, however. The Nimitz relied upon a steam power catapult, which generated and harnessed steam to engage the catapult. The newer Ford dispelled with the Nimitz, in favor of the EMALS system.

The EMALS, or Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System, is what the name implies: an electromagnetic catapult. The EMALS is an improvement over the traditional steam catapult, offering increased reliability and efficiency,  with more accurate end-speed control and smoother acceleration. The result is a higher sortie rate, and over time, a cost reduction due to decreased manning and maintenance requirements.

Arresting Gear

What goes up must come down. The counterpoint of the launching system is the arresting gear used to safely land an aircraft back on an aircraft carrier’s deck. Easier said than done. Most modern runways are 5,000 to 8,000 feet long, allowing pilots a significant margin of error and plenty of space to decelerate their aircraft smoothly. Carriers, on the other hand, afford a pilot just 350 feet within which to land and halt their aircraft – which requires the assistance of an arresting gear.

On the Nimitz, landing aircraft were arrested with the MK 7 Aircraft recovery system. The MK 7 is a “hydropneumatics system composed of the engine structure, a cylinder and ram assembly, a crosshead and fixed sheaves…and cable arrangement.” The MK 7 is fairly ‘old school.’ The Ford operates with an updated arresting gear, the Advanced Arresting Gear System (AAG). The AAG uses rotary engines and water turbines paired with an induction motor; the AAG was built to handle a wider range of aircraft, with less manpower and less maintenance. The result is an arresting gear system that is more hands-off, yet can handle more aircraft.

So, despite outwardly appearing quite similar, the Ford and Nimitz have some crucial differences with respect to the nuts and bolts required to successfully complete carrier operations.

About the Author: Harrison Kass

Harrison Kass is a defense and national security writer with over 1,000 total pieces on issues involving global affairs. An attorney, pilot, guitarist, and minor pro hockey player, Harrison joined the US Air Force as a Pilot Trainee but was medically discharged. Harrison holds a BA from Lake Forest College, a JD from the University of Oregon, and an MA from New York University. Harrison listens to Dokken.  

All images are Creative Commons. 

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Summary and Key Points: The F-16XL was an advanced variant of the F-16 Fighting Falcon, designed with a delta wing and increased payload capacity, earning it the nickname "beast mode."

-It was developed to compete with the F-15E Strike Eagle in the USAF's Enhanced Tactical Fighter Program.

-Despite its ability to carry more ordnance, achieve supercruise, and provide greater lift and maneuverability, the F-16XL lost out to the F-15E due to production costs and the existing F-15 infrastructure.

-The F-16XL remains a symbol of untapped potential in military aviation.

Meet the F-16XL Fighter 

The F-16XL was a bomb and missile truck – what we would call “beast mode” today. It was even faster than the standard F-16.

You can’t picture the Air Force without the F-16 Fighting Falcon.

It has flown for nearly 50 years. It is fast, compact, and highly-maneuverable.

The F-16 is combat proven. At least 25 air forces fly it around the world.

It has been updated over the decades to make it even better. The F-16 may fly with the U.S. Air Force until 2025. But one version has military analysts wondering what could have been. Try contemplating the F-16XL, which was a delta-wing model that could have changed the F-16 program – maybe for the better.

What Was the F-16XL All About?

In 1977, the F-16XL was meant to replace the variable sweep wing F-111 Aardvark. Designers of the F-16XL decided to go with a delta-wing design that would be twice the area of the F-16 wings. It was thought that the cranked arrow wing shape, paired with the strength of the standard F-16 fuselage, would garner even more speed and maneuverability. General Dynamics thought the best way to test these new configurations was to hook up with NASA in 1980. This partnership yielded 3,600 hours of testing just in a wind tunnel alone.

A New Capability: Supercruise

The main idea behind the F-16XL was to evaluate whether the different air frame could achieve supercruise (sustained supersonic cruising without afterburners) capability. This would allow the F-16XL to save on fuel and extend its range.

Wing Design Gave It Excellent Performance

Meanwhile, the cranked arrow wing shape would accomplish a quarter more lift than the base F-16. All those tests with NASA created a version called the Model 400. As Alex Hollings from Sandboxx described it, “This new wing design, which saw a 50-degree angle near the root of the wing for supersonic performance and a 70-degree angle where the wings extended for subsonic handling.”

What’s Not to Like

That meant the aerial combat capability could send the F-16XL into the territory of the F-15, “much smoother ride at high speeds and low altitudes.” The F-16XL was also 600 pounds lighter than the standard F-16, which added to its maneuverability. And Air Force technicians could add more ordnance to its payload under those new wings. Twenty-seven hardpoints were now possible. This could make the F-16XL into a bomb and missile truck – what we would call “beast mode” today. No external fuel tanks would be required. And the F-16XL would be faster than the F-16.

Time for a Competition

The consortium produced two F-16XLs. They first flew successfully in 1982. A year earlier the Air Force announced the Enhanced Tactical Fighter Program which was a competition between the F-16XL and the  F-15E Strike Eagle from McDonnell Douglas to replace the F-111. General Dynamics believed the F-16XL’s range and weapons payload would best the F-15E. Unfortunately, for the F-16XL, the F-15 was already in production. The F-16XL was going to be more expensive to build at serial production. The F-15E was slightly faster with its two engines. This would allow it to lose an engine in combat and still be able to fly back to base.

The Air Force thus chose the F-15E and the F-16XL goes down as a fighter that had so much potential that it was a shame it lost out. The design gave it more than capable performance and all the weapons it carried at supercruise would make it a tough customer with its high maneuverability and extended range. This must have been a disappointment to the design crew at General Dynamics. The F-16XL will be remembered by that team as a superior airplane that would have made the Air Force and many of its pilots happy.

Expert Biography

Dr. Brent M. Eastwood is the author of Humans, Machines, and Data: Future Trends in Warfare. He is an Emerging Threats expert and former U.S. Army Infantry officer. You can follow him on Twitter @BMEastwood. He holds a Ph.D. in Political Science and Foreign Policy/ International Relations.

All images are Creative Commons and or Shutterstock. 

Le président, LR, de la région des Hauts-de-France, se tient prêt pour Matignon. Ce tenant d'une droite équilibrée entre justice sociale et ordre républicain a battu le RN deux fois dans sa région. Mais rien ne dit que le chef de l'État ait envie d'une cohabitation avec lui.

Summary and Key Points: The F-16XL, a variant of the F-16 Fighting Falcon, was designed to compete with the F-15E Strike Eagle in the USAF's Enhanced Tactical Fighter competition.

-Although it lost to the F-15E, the F-16XL's innovative cranked arrow wing design offered greater lift, maneuverability, and payload capacity.

-Two prototypes were later used by NASA for research, contributing valuable data on supersonic flight and sonic booms. Today, these prototypes are preserved as testaments to the aircraft’s advanced design and potential.

The F-16XL Won't Ever See Combat Anywhere, For a Reason

The F-16 Fighting Falcon made headlines last year when the White House granted Ukraine the green light to fly them amidst the ongoing invasion.

The American-made supersonic multirole fighter aircraft was initially designed for the U.S. Air Force more than five decades ago. While the platform may be aging, it plays a critical role in the service’s fleet.

Over the last fifty years, several Fighting Falcon variants emerged, all featuring enhanced capabilities designed to keep the platform relevant in the modern era.

However, not all these variants made it to the service phase.

Notably, General Dynamics’ F-16XL was turned over to NASA a few years after losing the USAF’s Enhanced Tactical Fighter competition to the F-15E Strike Eagle.

The Fighting Falcon Platform

Following the lessons learned in the Vietnam War, U.S. officials recognized the need for an air superiority fighter.

Engineers outlined that a small, lightweight aircraft that could maneuver with minimal energy loss would be an ideal fit. The Air Force initially opposed the Advanced Day Fighter concept as the service felt it would jeopardize its F-15 Eagle program.

Ultimately, however, the idea of competitive prototyping was finalized and the Lightweight Fighter proposal was funded. By the 1970’s, the F-16 Fighting Falcon was designed.

Introducing the F-16XL

Shortly after manufacturer General Dynamics was awarded the Lightweight Fighter program contract, subsequent Fighting Falcon variants were conceptualized.

The Air Force desired a replacement fighter for its F-111 Aardvark and McDonnell Douglas submitted its new Fighting Falcon design to go up against the new F-15E Eagle. The USAF ultimately awarded McDonnell Douglas the contract. However, this wasn’t the end of the rope for the F-16XL idea.

The F-16XL’s NASA legacy

Two of these F-16XL prototypes referred to by their serial numbers #849 and #848 were eventually relegated to NASA’s Langley Research Center. Both jets were used in a variety of experiments that only concluded in the late 1990’s.

In 1995, F-16XL #849 participated in a sonic boom study where it successfully flew 200 feet behind a NASA SR-71 Blackbird to ascertain the boundary of the airframe’s supersonic shockwave. NASA heavily modified the two Fighting Falcon variants, installing a turbine-drive suction system and a thickened left-wing pulled in boundary layer air flowing over the wing.

The F-16XL was designed with a cranked arrow shape that accomplished greater lift than the base F-16.

As Alex Hollings from Sandboxx described it, “This new wing design, which saw a 50-degree angle near the root of the wing for supersonic performance and a 70-degree angle where the wings extended for subsonic handling.” Weighing nearly 600 pounds less than earlier variants, the F-16XL possessed greater maneuverability. The F-16XL could also carry twice the ordinance of the F-16A and deliver it 50% farther.

While the F-16XL prototypes are currently sitting in storage at the Air Force Flight Center Museum at Edwards and on display at the Museum Air Park, they are still revered by aviation buffs.

About the Author: Maya Carlin 

Maya Carlin, National Security Writer with The National Interest, is an analyst with the Center for Security Policy and a former Anna Sobol Levy Fellow at IDC Herzliya in Israel. She has by-lines in many publications, including The National Interest, Jerusalem Post, and Times of Israel. You can follow her on Twitter: @MayaCarlin. 

All images are Creative Commons. 

Summary and Key Points: The B-21 Raider, the U.S. Air Force’s next-generation stealth bomber, is expected to cost approximately $750 million per unit, making it less expensive than the B-2 Spirit it replaces.

-Despite its lower cost, the B-21 is designed to ensure enduring air superiority with advanced capabilities, including an open architecture for integrating new technologies.

-While the Air Force currently plans to procure around 100 units, concerns remain that China could produce its Xi’an H-20 bombers in greater numbers, potentially challenging U.S. air dominance in a future conflict.

B-21 Raider: A Cost-Effective Stealth Bomber for the USAF

If reports are correct, the U.S. Air Force’s next-generation B-21 stealth bomber won’t break the bank when it is introduced into service. The upcoming platform, designed to replace the Air Force’s aging B-1B Lancer and B-2 Spirit bombers, is estimated to cost roughly $750 million per unit. 

If this number, estimated by GlobalData, holds, the Raiders will actually be less expensive than the Spirit bombers they replace. The bomber’s lower cost will be especially important, considering the Air Force is simultaneously developing its Next Generation Air Dominance fighter jet. While the Raider’s budget will help anchor support for the B-21 program, the timely introduction of the airframe is what matters most. Tensions across the globe are continuing to escalate, and Beijing and Moscow are both pursuing next-generation bomber platforms of their own.

The B-21 Raider - What We Know

Like all U.S. bombers before it, the B-21 is being designed to ensure America’s enduring airpower capability and to cement U.S. air superiority over adversaries for another generation. The B-21 is named to honor the Doolittle Raiders of WWII, whose innovation and daring are recognized for altering the course of the conflict. In 1942, the Raiders became legends when they launched B-25 Mitchell bombers off the flight deck of the USS Hornet before carriers were actually designed for aircraft take-offs. 

The Air Force established the Long Range Strike Bomber program in 2011. Manufacturer Northrop Grumman was awarded the development contract a few years later, outcompeting Lockheed Martin and Boeing. According to a 2016 Government Accountability Office report on the program, Northrop was selected due to the lower costs associated with its design prototype. The bomber was formally designated the B-21 the same year. In 2018, the program completed its critical design review, and the Air Force selected Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota to host the bomber and its training unit. 

Once introduced, the bomber will certainly be the most advanced airframe of its kind. It will operate alongside the Boeing B-52J Stratofortress. 

“The B-21 Raider program is on track and continues flight testing at Northrop Grumman’s manufacturing facility on Edwards Air Force Base, Calif,” the Air Force said in a press release. “The B-21 will have an open architecture to integrate new technologies and respond to future threats across the spectrum of operations, greatly enhancing mission effectiveness and joint interoperability in advanced threat environments, strengthening U.S. deterrence and strategic advantage.” 

A senior Air Force official mirrored this rhetoric in a recent Senate Armed Services Committee hearing. 

“We are in the flight test program, the flight test program is proceeding well,” Andrew Hunter, assistant secretary of the Air Force for acquisition, technology and logistics, stated during the hearing. “It is doing what flight test programs are designed to do, which is helping us learn about the unique characteristics of this platform, but in a very, very effective way.”

Most of the aircraft’s specs and capabilities remain highly classified. However, the service and Northrop have revealed limited information. According to released footage of the bomber, the Raider is expected to be much smaller than its Spirit predecessor. Based on its smaller size, the B-21 could sport roughly half of the B-2’s 60,000-pound payload capacity. Additionally, a recent Sandboxx News report suggested that the bomber’s wingspan could be around 15% shorter than the Spirit, meaning the new bomber will be harder to detect on radar.  

With the B-21 now expected to cost a lot less than the B-2, perhaps the Air Force could procure more than its planned 100 airframes. Some analysts are concerned that even if the Raider is more advanced than its Chinese counterpart in terms of capabilities, the Xi’an H-20 bomber could be quantitatively superior. Beijing could produce double or triple the number of B-21s, which would certainly impede the Air Force in a potential conflict.

About the Author: Maya Carlin

Maya Carlin, National Security Writer with The National Interest, is an analyst with the Center for Security Policy and a former Anna Sobol Levy Fellow at IDC Herzliya in Israel. She has by-lines in many publications, including The National Interest, Jerusalem Post, and Times of Israel. You can follow her on Twitter: @MayaCarlin. 

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Summary and Key Points: The U.S. Air Force plans to limit B-21 Raider production to 100 units, citing potential future technological advancements as a reason to avoid overcommitting.

-Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin highlighted that better technology may emerge by the mid-2030s, altering procurement strategies.

-Despite initial projections of up to 250 units, the production rate is expected to be slow, at less than 10 per year, to protect the program from budget cuts.

-This cautious approach reflects past experiences with scaled-back procurement of advanced military systems.

B-21 Raider and That Math Problem 

How many B-21s will the US Air Force need?

The U.S. Air Force (USAF) has stated that they do not intend to buy more than 100 B-21s. The reason: building so many B-21s takes time. And by the time so many B-21s are built, the USAF may well have a better, more advanced option to buy.

As Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David W. Allvin explained in April, the B-21 “is the future of our bomber force,” but better technology may be available in the near future, making the USAF reluctant to commit to procuring more than 100 B-21s.

Allvin suggested the USAF would reach 100 B-21s sometime in the mid-2030s, perhaps later. “I think there are other technological advancements that we would see to be able to augment that and have better mix…before we commit to that as being the platform…beyond that.”

B-21 Raider: The bomber of the future

Originally, the USAF was expected to procure between 80 and 100 B-21s.

That number was then upgraded to “at least 100.”

At one point, some pundits recommended that the USAF procure as many as 250 B-21s, to supplement retirements of the B-1 and B-2 bomber fleets.

Obviously, the 250 projection was overblown; Allvin’s 100-airframe cap is the new expectation.

If the USAF doesn’t produce 100 or so B-21s until the mid-2030s, that would mean the airframe is produced at a relatively languid pace—less than 10 per year.

As Air and Space Forces Magazine reported, “Pentagon acquisition and sustainment chief William LaPlante recently said that the B-21’s production rate was deliberately set at a low level to protect it from budget cuts.”

“One of the key attributes of this program,” LaPlante said through a spokesperson, “has been designing for production from the start – and at scale – to provide a credible deterrent … if you don’t produce and field to warfighters at scale, the capability doesn’t really matter.”

Subject to change

Procurement projections tend to change. Especially when the procurement relates to a system as advanced and expensive as the B-21 Raider.

Consider the F-22 Raptor, which was ultimately procured in far fewer numbers than originally projected.

The B-2 Spirit, the stealth bomber that the B-21 is being produced to replace, suffered similarly; less than two dozen B-2s ever joined the Air Force fleet.

Airframes are hardly the only system to have their budget and production cut.

The Seawolf class submarine was canceled after just three vessels were completed.

The Zumwalt class destroyer was cancelled after just three of the 32 planned vessels were completed. The narrative arc is routine.

And the B-21 is still early enough in its production life where it is vulnerable to suffering a similar fate – especially if the Air Force only intends to build the B-21 at a rate of ten or so airframes per year.

B-21 Pressure Cooker 

The B-21 may have added pressure, however, relative to other programs that were canned mid-way through production.

The B-21 is expected to be a lynchpin of the US bomber fleet moving forward. Existing airframes are being retired just to make way for the B-21, so failing to supply it would lead to a shortage relative to current bomber numbers.  

About the Author: Harrison Kass 

Harrison Kass is a defense and national security writer with over 1,000 total pieces on issues involving global affairs. An attorney, pilot, guitarist, and minor pro hockey player, Harrison joined the US Air Force as a Pilot Trainee but was medically discharged. Harrison holds a BA from Lake Forest College, a JD from the University of Oregon, and an MA from New York University. Harrison listens to Dokken.

All images are Creative Commons and/or Shutterstock. 

Trois miliciens du groupe d’auto-défense Zaïre ont été arrêtés et trois autres interpellés lundi 5 août. Ils sont soupçonnés d’être de connivence avec les rebelles du M23.

Ces arrestations et interpellations constituent le premier résultat des enquêtes en cours, menées à Tchomia par l’auditorat supérieur près la cour militaire, après les attaques simultanées de ce groupe armé, contre les positions de la Force navale le mercredi 31 juillet,  à Kasenyi et Tchomia, sur le littoral du Lac Albert.

Summary and Key Points: The U.S. Air Force's B-21 Raider program faces rising costs, with Northrop Grumman renegotiating higher prices for the next batch of 19 aircraft.

-Initially agreed to take a loss on early lots, Northrop has now secured a higher cost ceiling, raising concerns about the affordability of the B-21.

-The bomber's price tag could reach $600 million per aircraft, potentially limiting the total number the Air Force can procure. This development could challenge plans to replace aging bombers and maintain the Air Force's strategic capabilities.

B-21 Raider Price Hike Is Coming

Everything is costing more, and it isn't just groceries, and the burritos at Chipotle. The United States Air Force is going to have to shell out a few more bucks to pay for its fleet of B-21 Raider long-range strategic bombers to Northrop Grumman, the prime contractor of the next-generation aircraft.

The aerospace firm had previously agreed to take a "loss" on the first lots of the B-21, following negotiations with the contractor early this year, but as Defense One first reported on Monday, Northrop Grumman has been able to subsequently re-negotiate "a higher cost ceiling" for the next batch of 19 aircraft.

"B-21 remains on track to meet its key performance parameter for Average Procurement Unit Cost (APUC) of $550 million in Base Year 2010 dollars," Northrop Grumman stated in a June 18 press release, which highlighted key factoids about the future backbone of the U.S. Air Force's bomber fleet.

"The government has fixed price production options for the first 21 aircraft. Final terms, quantity, and pricing beyond the first 21 aircraft are subject to negotiation. The government and Northrop Grumman have established not to exceed pricing for an additional 19 aircraft. The average not to exceed value for the subsequent lots is above the average unit price of the five LRIP lots," the aerospace firm added. 

Inflation Woes – Just Part of the Problem for B-21

The B-21 Raider, which is set to replace the aging B-1B Lancer and B-2 Spirit in the coming decade, has been touted as being the most advanced bomber aircraft ever built. It is also on track to be the most expensive, potentially exceeding the B-2 if enough Raiders aren't built.

Current estimates put the price tag for the bomber as high as $600 million per aircraft, but only if the Air Force can buy the aircraft in volume to spread out the R&D costs. Yet, due to the rising costs, there had been concerns that the United States Air Force would be hard-pressed to buy enough of the B-21 Raider bombers in the coming years. In other words, the air service is facing a dilemma – it needs to buy more of the bombers to lower the per unit cost, but the price could still go up anyway, reducing the number that it can reasonably afford to buy!

The Raider entered its Low-Rate Initial Production (LRIP) in January, and the first five production lots of the B-21 will total just 21 airplanes. However, that is entirely by design and was meant to ensure the costs are managed accordingly. That may not work out as planned.

The Air Force hasn't provided an updated unit cost, while the service has also scaled back how much it requested to go towards the program for fiscal year 2025 (FY25), down to $2.7 billion from $4 billion projected last year.

As previously reported, the U.S. Air Force anticipates a need for about 100 B-21 Raiders, while Northrop Grumman, which as the prime contractor has a vested interest in producing more aircraft, recommended a program of at least 200 bombers.

The total number of the B-21 Raiders will come down to what lawmakers are likely willing to fund.

Author Experience and Expertise: Peter Suciu

Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer. He has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers, and websites with over 3,200 published pieces over a twenty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: Editor@nationalinterest.org.

Image Credit: Creative Commons and/or Shutterstock. 

Marthe Koala s'est qualifiée pour la finale du saut en longueur, ce 6 août 2024, avec la performance de 6,59m.

Classée 6e dans la poule B, l'étalon valide sa qualification pour la finale prévue le 8 août 2024.

En rappel, elle a remporté la médaille d'or de la Diamond league 2024, en Chine lors du meeting de Suzhou, ce samedi 27 avril 2024.

L'exploit sensationnel de Marthe Koala a illuminé la Diamond League de Suzhou 2024, où elle a décroché la médaille d'or au saut en longueur.

Avec une performance remarquable de 6,68m, Koala a démontré une maîtrise exceptionnelle de son art athlétique.

Lefaso.net

Summary and Key Points: The B-21 Raider, the U.S. Air Force’s next-generation stealth bomber, recently completed its first test flight and is set to replace the B-2 Spirit.

-While the program appears to be progressing, concerns remain about its completion due to high costs and public scrutiny.

-Critics question whether the B-21 is necessary, given the U.S.'s already substantial defense budget.

-However, with significant investment and minimal controversy, the B-21 is likely to proceed as planned, aiming to enhance America's deep penetration bombing capabilities and maintain its military advantage.

The B-21 Raider Does Have 1 Thing Crtiques Keep Attacking

The B-21 Raider is being heralded as the next big entry into the USAF’s force structure.

Slated to replace the B-2 Spirit as America’s stealth bombing option, the B-21 recently made its first test flight, and is expected to join the force within the next few years.Yet, some observers are asking whether the program will be completed or whether the B-21 might suffer a fate similar to the B-1A, whose funding was cut before the bomber could ever be produced.

Introducing the B-21 Raider

Last November, the B-21 made its maiden test flight. And while the Air Force hasn’t chosen to share much about the program with the public, the B-21 seems to be moving along satisfactorily.

“The B-21 Raider is in flight testing,” said Ann Stefanek, an Air Force spokeswoman. Stefanek emphasized that the testing is an important step toward providing “survivable, long-range, penetrating strike capabilities to deter aggression and strategic attacks against the United States, allies, and partners.”

The B-21 would be the first new American bomber to join the fleet in about three decades. The last US bomber, the B-2, was developed through the 1980s and 90s.

And although it’s been more than a generation since the US last produced a new bomber, the cost of the program, plus the secrecy of the program, has some observers asking questions, wondering whether the project will ever be completed, or whether the project ever should be completed.

Does America need the B-21?

The need for the B-21 derives, in theory, from the advancements made in air defense technology.

Essentially, the B-2 is no longer as stealthy, as capable of deep penetration missions, as when first debuted. The result is that the US may have lost some ability to deliver ordnances behind enemy lines, undetected. And as such, US deterrence may be reduced.

The B-21 would, in theory, rejuvenate the US’s ability to perform deep penetration bombing runs, hence rejuvenating our deterrence.

But deep penetration bombing runs aside, and some naysayers are pointing out that America has, without even a close second, the highest defense budget of any nation on Earth.

The commitment to a new stealth bomber is naturally going to raise questions from a public who has watched so much of their tax base go directly to Lockheed Martin, or the B-21’s creator, Northrop Grumman.

Will the B-21 be cut?

The B-21 program appears to be moving ahead as planned. Things change. But significant resources have already been invested in the B-21.

Also, unlike most canceled programs, the B-21 is not a political hot potato. For the most part, the general public is unaware of the B-21; no one is pressuring their local congressperson to take a stance on the B-21. It’s just not a controversial issue (like the B-1A, or the F-35). Which means the bomber will likely proceed as planned.

“The ability to conduct long-range strikes at scale in all threat environments has been a decisive U.S. military advantage for more than 7 years,” wrote retired Air Force Colonel Mark Gunzinger. “Long-range bombers enable theater commanders to strike enemy targets inaccessible to other U.S. and allied forces.”

With Gunzinger, and like minded military-brass, and profit-minded aerospace executives, leading the charge for the B-21 – without public opposition – expect the B-21 to be produced as scheduled.

About the Author: Harrison Kass 

Harrison Kass is a defense and national security writer with over 1,000 total pieces on issues involving global affairs. An attorney, pilot, guitarist, and minor pro hockey player, Harrison joined the US Air Force as a Pilot Trainee but was medically discharged. Harrison holds a BA from Lake Forest College, a JD from the University of Oregon, and an MA from New York University. Harrison listens to Dokken.

Image Credit: Creative Commons. 

L’association humanitaire Médecins sans frontières (MSF), a alerté, mardi 6 août, sur l’augmentation des cas de la maladie de Monkey pox en RDC.

Selon cette organisation, le nombre de cas a triplé en 2023, avec plus de 14.600 cas suspects notifiés, et 654 décès.

MSF s’inquiète du fait que cette maladie est reconnue comme étant endémique dans 11 des 26 provinces du pays.

Kenya's most-decorated runner, Eliud Kipchoge is aiming to become the first Olympian to win three successive marathon gold medals.

Les travaux de la revue annuelle de performance pour la province éducationnelle Maniema 1 ont débuté lundi 5 aout sous le thème: « Amélioration de la qualité de l'éducation pour stimuler le développement socio-économique ».

Dans un Royaume-Uni secoué par des violences imputées à l'extrême droite, le gouvernement a annoncé, mardi 6 août, la mobilisation de 6 000 policiers spécialisés et plus de 500 places de prison disponibles pour y écrouer des émeutiers. Plus d’une semaine après l’attaque au couteau qui a coûté la vie à trois fillettes dans le nord-ouest de l’Angleterre, la soirée de lundi a encore été émaillée d'incidents violents.

Les restes des corps d'une femme et de son enfant ont été retrouvés lundi 5 août au village Kilindila, sur le littoral du lac Tanganyika dans le territoire de Kalemie, (Tanganyika).

D'après l'administrateur du territoire de Kalemie, John Mutombo, cette femme et son enfant avaient été happés par un crocodile dimanche dernier. Ils s’étaient rendus au lac pour puiser de l'eau. 

Eine zweite Amtszeit von Donald Trump als US-Präsident könnte die globale Wirtschaftsordnung ernsthaft erschüttern. Zudem könnte es zu einem wirtschaftlich katastrophalen Handelskrieg zwischen den USA und der EU kommen, warnen Experten.

AVIS D'APPEL À PROPOSITION DE PROJETS
Appel conjoint du Fonds de Contrepartie de l'Observatoire de la CEDEAO sur le riz (ERO) et du projet MOVE-CARI de la GIZ

L'Observatoire de la CEDEAO sur le Riz et MOVE-CARI de la coopération allemande / GIZ lancent un avis à manifestation d'intérêt pour le Fonds de Contrepartie du riz. Le Fonds de Contrepartie est un mécanisme de cofinancement qui cherche à inciter les entreprises du secteur privé à co-investir dans des activités visant à consolider et à développer la chaîne de valeur du riz en Afrique de l'Ouest.

Il existe deux sources de financement différentes, celui de l'ERO et celui de la coopération allemande / GIZ MOVE-CARI, et les postulants potentiels ne pourront en solliciter qu'une seule dans le cadre de cet avis à manifestation d'intérêt. Ainsi, toutes les entreprises des chapitres nationaux de l'Observatoire de la CEDEAO sur le riz (ERO) sont invitées à postuler pour le financement de l'ERO et les entreprises privées du Burkina Faso, de la Côte d'Ivoire, du Ghana, du Nigeria, de la Sierra Léone et du Sénégal seront invitées à postuler pour le financement de MOVE-CARI de la coopération allemande / GIZ. Les entreprises pourront par ailleurs postuler soit individuellement ou en consortium.

Les organisations et entreprises éligibles de la chaîne de valeur riz peuvent candidater pour bénéficier de la subvention susmentionnée et avoir un grand intérêt dans la vision de progresser vers l'autosuffisance en riz compétitif, rentable, durable et nutritif en Afrique de l'Ouest par le biais de :

• L'augmentation de la productivité et de la qualité du paddy ;

• L'amélioration de l'efficacité de l'approvisionnement en riz local, de sa transformation et de son marketing ;

• L'amélioration de la commercialisation du riz et de ses sous-produits.

Cet appel de Fonds de Contrepartie est axé sur la chaîne de valeur du riz dont la transformation passe par l'établissement de liens commerciaux solides et compétitifs à chaque segment de la chaîne...

Il s'agit également d'une procédure de candidature à plusieurs étapes et que les propositions de tous les pays seront examinées en même temps. Dans un premier temps, tous les candidats doivent soumettre une note conceptuelle (modèle fourni et téléchargeable sur le site de www.araa.org ; www.cari-project.org et, pour les candidats faisant partie d'un consortium, une lettre d'intention (modèle fourni et téléchargeable en utilisant ces liens www.araa.org ; www.cari-project.org) signée par tous les membres.

Tous les candidats doivent postuler en soumettant leurs documents à move@giz.de ou à l'adresse électronique de l'ERO (mgf-ero@araa.org). Tous les documents requis doivent être soumis au plus tard le 23 aout 2024. Les demandes reçues après cette date limite ne seront pas prises en compte pour bénéficier du soutien du Fonds de contrepartie.

Si vous avez des questions concernant le Fonds de contrepartie ou le processus de candidature, veuillez contacter l'équipe ERO à l'adresse mgf-ero@araa.org et l'équipe CARI à l'adresse move@giz.de .

Consultez aussi le guide sur le Fonds de Contrepartie pour de plus amples informations sur l'appui disponible, les critères d'éligibilité et le processus de candidature.