Northrop Grumman to build Long Range Strike Bomber

WASHINGTON, Oct. 27 (UPI) -- Northrop Grumman is to build the next-generation Long Range Strike bomber for the U.S. Air Force, beating out a joint bid by Lockheed Martin and Boeing.

Announcement of the Air Force award -- with an estimated value of as much as $80 billion over the life of the program -- was made late Tuesday at the Pentagon by Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James.

Details of the new LRS-B remain sketchy. However, it will be a stealth aircraft, capable of carrying thermonuclear weapons and feature an open architecture for easy addition of new technologies as they arise. It is also expected to have a flying-wing design.

Initial operating capability for the aircraft is expected to be granted in the mid-2020s.

The LRS-B will eventually replace the Air Force's B-1 and B-52 bombers.

The Air Force last year issued a request for proposals for the plane. The award issued Thursday includes production of test aircraft, with provisions for production of prototypes.

The Air Force plans to buy as many as 100 of the planes.

The Air Force estimates the cost for each bomber will be about $550 million in 2010 dollars if 100 aircraft were procured but intends to lower production costs through incentive programs.

There was no immediate response to the contract award by Northrop Grumman or the Lockheed Martin/Boeing team.