Taking a Chance.

Anew, even larger unmanned combat aircraft and a version of the B-1 that goes twice the speed of sound are among the industry responses to the U.S. Air Force's request for information about a nearterm, long-range strike capability. Boeing led its offerings with a B-1R proposal that would reengine the bomber with the F/A-22's F-119 engines giving it enough thrust to reach Mach 2.0, but leaving it fuel-efficient enough for a 3,000-mi. mission radius. In addition, Lockheed Martin Corp. is expected to offer a variant of a large manned aircraft design, probably one of its advanced heavy-lift, flying wing concepts, that would carry large numbers of extended-range cruise missiles that could be launched from far outside any possible air defense system.