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A-12 Avenger. Image Credit: Creative Commons. |
International Military - The United States (US) is a superpower that has been proven capable of creating various sophisticated and capable defense equipment. One of the weapons owned by the US is the US Navy stealth bomber, the A 12 Avenger.
The A-12 Avenger II was a stealth flying wing bomber that was supposed to take off from an aircraft carrier. But not a single plane was ever built after spending $5 billion on the project. The plane was finally canceled in 1991, one of the biggest wastes of time and money in history.
The A 12 Avenger will have more speed, greater range, and higher ceilings compared to the A-6 Intruder. Two General Electric turbojets will deliver a maximum speed of 580 miles per hour at an altitude of 40,000 feet. That range is intended to be 485 miles with the ability to pack 5,500 pounds (or 2,400 kg equivalent) of bombs and missiles.
It is this capability that has the navy, marines, and even the air force excited and planning to buy 620, marines ordering 238, and the air force wondering if it can buy up to 400.
Reporting from 19fortyfive, A 12 Avenger doesn't take revenge at all. Intended to replace the popular A-6E Intruder, the A 12 Avenger's flying wing is designed to penetrate deep into enemy territory by launching from aircraft carriers, evading radar, and dropping the latest precision-guided munitions.
It started in 1983 as the Advanced Tactical Aircraft program. The A 12 Avenger is planned to be larger than the F-117A Nighthawk stealth fighter with a heavier payload. The aircraft was intended to have a crew of two with pilot and bomber/navigator.
The plane was judged to be too heavy to carry out the operation as promised. This is an engineering problem, but there are systemic problems with the overall acquisition effort.
Airplanes are also victims of bureaucracy, burdensome regulations, outdated procurement systems, and simply mistakes and miscalculations. It was quickly behind schedule and the delay lasted months, eventually 18 months behind schedule. Each plane will cost $96 million, 80 percent over budget.
When congress stopped funding the A 12, the Navy was left without modern bombers. Eventually, the F/A-18 Hornet implemented plans for a bombing-capable Super Hornet. The F-14 Tomcat is more of a fighter/interceptor with no deep strike capabilities.
Meanwhile, the F-35C eventually became a stealth aircraft for aircraft carriers. As is well known, stealth technology is expensive but has great advantages. If A 12 Avenger existed today, then it could provide strength against anyone's foes.
Remember that the requirements levied for the A-12 asked for items and performance for which no technology existed at the time. Therefore, McDonald-Douglas’ cost estimates for the development contract were guesstimates, at best, and proved to be gross underestimates. Having been on the program, and having been up close on the full-scale mock up, I have no doubt that the Navy lost out on what would have been a superb aircraft. It’s also worth noting that the Navy, still lacking a modern mud mover, fell on it’s sword in an attempt to make the F-22 a dual role F/B, but jumped ship on that program when the USAF said, “Not a pound for air-to-ground.”
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