October 17, 2008 at 12:37 pm
In the newest Flight International extensive coverage is given on the corporate aviation market. These business jets are not the 1960ies Learjet any more. The newest Gulfstream G650 and Bombadier Global 5000 are heavier than the CRJ regional jets (MTOW of G650 is 45.2t).
Wouldn’t these aircraft be an interesting opportunity for a “medium bomber” for limited threat missions? They can do the job currently done by F-15E or F-16C: Ferry smart bombs to an area, loiter for a while and drop them on targets identified by ground assets. If necessary they can use targeting pods to identify targets themselves. Also they could launch stand-off weapons.
My idea would be to:
– take the basic wing-powerplant of such a business jet
– re-design the fuselage for a three-crew cabin with ejection seats
– use the remaining (unpressurized) fuselage for a bomb bay with vertical or rear delivery
– add air refuelling capability
– add provisions for wing pylons to increase flexibility
– add avionics such as radar, ECM and targeting pod
– add the theoretical possibility to be used as tanker
Advantages:
– aircraft with high subsonic speed (M0.90 cruise)
– high altitude capability (51.000ft certified)
– 3000km radius with 4t payload
– long loiter times, spare human resources on board (third crew member)
– very economic due to civil components
– the basic airframe-engine can be used for other uses, such as AWACS
Of course, such an aircraft could not take on the newest air defence system. But that is not needed, other assets can do that. But it can do missions, add sensors to the battlefield and operate over longer distances without needing too much aerial refueling capacity.
Opinions?
———————–
Some basic infos:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bombardier_Global_Express
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gulfstream_G650
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raytheon_Sentinel