AESA does always sound sexier with what we are learning about it. However I was just thinking of yanking out the guts of the flight controls and having them replaced with something better…. and putting in a new modern cockpit. This would make the maintenance time much less overall…. One of the things that was promised to the B-1 when it was first downsized some years back is that the “savings” would be farmed back into the B-1 upgrades. “The man” kinda fibbed on that one.

Totally agree with that. Just anecdotally, it seemed like everytime I was sitting there with jet issues, it was a flight control issue (or an engine issue). I’d like to see some new engines too. The current radar works well enough and the new upgrade should solve the sustainment piece.

How those generals could sit in front of Congress and bald-face lie about the money is beyond me…

PBAR