At the
conclusion of the First Robotech War, the United Earth Government
ordered
a top down review of the Robotech Defense Forces. Military
planners had decided that a new generation of
variable fighters would be
needed for the continuing Zentraedi uprisings
in South America and the
upcoming launching of the Robotech Expeditionary
Force. The Zentraedi
threat posed problems to mission planners in the control zone.
During the
conflict RDF military intelligence could place large Zentraedi
troop concentrations;
however, the RDF had no assists to carpet bomb the
area with out the use
of nuclear weapons.The VAX-3 "Firestorm" variable bomber was designed only as a stop gap measure to test out the subsystems necessary for a large variable bomber. A second generation, or production model, was clearly necessary to supplement the small number, less than 20, VAX-3 units scheduled to be produced. The criteria for the new variable bomber was that it would have to have a weapons capacity greater than or equal to the old United States B-2 bomber, while having the defensive advantages possessed by its transformable nature. Military planners envisioned that the VB-X-49 could be stationed in the field at locations which normally could not support large heavy bombers.
The VB-X-49 was designed similar to the B-2 for which it was replacing. The VB-X-49, or the Boomerang, requires a crew of two to operate, one pilot and one weapon's officer. The weapon's capacity of the unit is impressive, mounting two internal weapons bays under the fuselage. Each bay can hold up to twenty-five 250 kg (Mk 82) weapons, twelve 500 kg cluster bombs (CBU-89), six 1000 kg general purpose high explosive bombs (Mk 84), twenty Stiletto medium range missiles, eight long range Derringer missiles, or the equivalent of 10000 kg of ordinance. Ordnance from the internal bomb bays can only be deployed while the mecha is in bomber mode, as the bay doors are blocked once the aircraft transforms. Four MM-10 missile bays are located on both legs. Each missile bay can hold up to 10 short range Hammerhead missiles and can fire in all modes. In addition to the missile weaponry, two EP-4 particle beam cannons are mounted on the nose of the aircraft and a single Mauser LA-13 head laser
The Boomerang was armored with a first generation low-mass composite Chobham plating that became the standard for all subsequent REF designs. The armor provides excellent protection against all light anti-mecha weaponry and moderate projection to medium or higher class weapons (55 mm or greater). However, the VB-X-49 was not designed to engage the enemy at short ranges and as a result the armor protection of the unit reflects these operational constraints. For emergency use only, the VB=X-49 was mounted with two large projectile shields on both arms.
Similar to the B-2, the VB-X-49 was designed with a low passive radar cross section. Radar absorbing material (RAM) is made use of extensively throughout the unit which reduces the all aspect radar cross section of the mecha, while in fighter mode, to 20 dBsm less than a conventional VF-1 "Valkryie". The fourth generation RAM requires far less maintenance than that of earlier models; however, maintenance personal are still required to check the aircraft after each combat mission. In addition to the passive systems, the Boomerang mounts a RRG Mk1a EM absorbing field which reduces the radar cross section an additional 10 dBsm through the use of active radar lessening techniques.
The primary sensor of the Boomerang is the AM/APQ-211 radar. The radar has 20 separate modes and has two electronically-scanned antenna mounted in the sensor head of the unit. The APQ-211 operates in Ku band, rather than the more traditional X-band. The radar therefore suffers more atmospheric absorption than X-band systems; however, it has inherently higher resolution and smaller side lobe levels. In addition to its air-surveillance modes, the systems can operate in a synthetic-aperture mode which allows it to paint a picture of the target and allows GPS quality coordinates to be handed off to the weapon system.
One-hundred units were ordered in 2015, with the first production model coming off the line in March of 2019. Unfortunately, the cost of the project had ballooned such that the unit price of each plane was three times the original estimate. The United Earth Government in a cost savings measure canceled the project after only 20 planes were delivered. The 14th bomber wing which was the first, and subsequent only, VB-X-49 unit was formed in 2020 at the RDF Yellowstone base. At the time the Zentraedi insurrection in South American had been reduced to a fraction of the conflict during the 2010's. Large concentrated Zentraedi forces were a thing of the past and the mission for which the VB-X-49 had been built had disappeared. Although, some planners lobbied for the VB-X-49 inclusion into the REF, the units large size and high operational cost were prohibitive. The remaining bombers were decommissioned in 2025 and placed into reserve. The Boomerang was not brought out during the 2nd Robotech War and all of the VB-X-49s are believed to have been destroyed once the Invid atomized RDF Albuquerque base on May 15, 2033
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