DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: Boeing B-1 Bomber Completes 10,000th Combat Mission

DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: Boeing B-1 Bomber Completes 10,000th Combat Mission
*Flexibility is US Air Force bomber’s greatest asset
Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources Boeing
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - February 28, 2012:  The Boeing [NYSE: BA] B-1 bomber aircraft has completed its 10,000th combatmission. The heavy bomber entered service with the U.S. Air Force on June 29, 1985, and has been in nearly continuous combat for the past 10 years. The milestone mission took off from a base in Southwest Asia and was flown in support of operations over Afghanistan before returning to base.

"The B-1 brings tremendous flexibility to our nation's defense," said Lt. Col. Alejandro Gomez, mission team lead. "In any mission, the B-1 has the ability to loiter, dash, positively identify targets, show force, and strike targets precisely. Whatever our aircrews are asked to do, they can perform with this aircraft."

B-1 crews in Southwest Asia fly a variety of missions, including close air support for troops on the ground, giving them cover and alerting them to threats they cannot see. On-site maintainers keep thefleet ready to fly.

"10,000 conventional combat missions for a relatively small fleet of 66 B-1s is a major milestone and a testament to the men and women who built, sustain and modernize the fleet, including the U.S. Air Force, Boeing and our subcontractors," said Rick Greenwell, Boeing B-1 program director. "We continue to draw on expertise and experience from across Boeing to enhance our support of this amazing aircraft."

The B-1 bomber has advanced over the years as it is modified for current needs. The aircraft began as a nuclear bomber and moved into a solely conventional role in the 1990s. It carries the largest payload in the Air Force's long-range bomber fleet -- during Operation Iraqi Freedom, it dropped 40 percent of all weapons while flying only 5 percent of the sorties.

Today's B-1 can carry a mixed load of weapons in each of its three bays. Its long range allows it to base far from the conflict and loiter unrefueled for long periods. Its swept wings allow it to fly fast, slow, low or high as the situation demands. With only four crewmembers required, missions can rapidly be adjusted in flight to keep up with adversaries. The radar and targeting pod can be used for positive target identification and the aircraft can employ a variety of other weapons, including Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAMs), Laser JDAMs, Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missiles-Extended Range, and BLU-129 warheads.

"The B-1 fleet and crews have readily adapted to an ever-changing environment to accomplish this 10,000th combat sortie milestone," said Greenwell. "This aircraft has proven its ability to continue to evolve and be effective well into the future."

A unit of The Boeing Company, Boeing Defense, Space & Security is one of the world's largest defense, space and security businesses specializing in innovative and capabilities-driven customer solutions, and the world's largest and most versatile manufacturer of military aircraft. Headquartered in St. Louis, Boeing Defense, Space & Security is a $32 billion business with 62,000 employees worldwide. Follow us on Twitter: @BoeingDefense.

Contact:

Jennifer Hogan
Maintenance, Modifications & Upgrades
405-818-7859
jennifer.c.hogan@boeing.com

*Link for This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources Boeing
*Speaking Image - Creation of DTN News ~ Defense Technology News 
*This article is being posted from Toronto, Canada By DTN News ~ Defense-Technology News Contact:dtnnews@ymail.com 
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DTN News: Boeing Begins Flight-Testing B-1 With New Link 16 Communications

DTN News: Boeing Begins Flight-Testing B-1 With New Link 16 Communications

Source: DTN News / Boeing

(NSI News Source Info) LONG BEACH, Calif.,- June 21, 2010: The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA] today announced the start of flight tests for a B-1 Lancer bomber upgraded with new digital avionics for the aft cockpit, including a line-of-sight Link 16 data link. The B-1 Fully Integrated Data Link (FIDL) made its first flight test on June 4 at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. The four-hour flight was conducted by the U.S. Air Force around the local Edwards test ranges. The crew successfully tested the Link 16 data link by sending and receiving text messages and receiving virtual mission assignment data such as target coordinates for a weapon. Link 16 adds line-of-sight capability to the B-1's existing beyond line-of-sight Joint Range Extension Applications Protocol (JREAP) data link, and integrates the JREAP data onto new, full-color displays with intuitive symbols and moving maps. "Link 16 will allow the B-1 to be an active participant in a network that is commonly used by fighter, reconnaissance and command-and-control aircraft," said Mark Angelo, B-1 program manager for Boeing. "With Link 16, target coordinates can be sent directly to the weapon system from ground troops or forward operating bases, instead of the current method, where crew members type the coordinates in by hand after hearing them over the radio." The program will conduct three flight tests this month. Additional flight tests will take place through January 2011. The entire Air Force fleet of 66 B-1s is expected to receive the FIDL upgrade. A unit of The Boeing Company, Boeing Defense, Space & Security is one of the world's largest defense, space and security businesses specializing in innovative and capabilities-driven customer solutions, and the world's largest and most versatile manufacturer of military aircraft. Headquartered in St. Louis, Boeing Defense, Space & Security is a $34 billion business with 68,000 employees worldwide. A video clip of this event is available at

www.boeing.com/defense-space/military/b1-lancer. Contact: Jennifer HoganMaintenance, Modifications and Upgrades

Mobile: 405-818-7859

jennifer.c.hogan@boeing.com

DTN News: Heroux-Devtek Lands $16 Million In U.S. Military Landing Gear Contracts

DTN News: Heroux-Devtek Lands $16 Million In U.S. Military Landing Gear Contracts Source: DTN News / By The Canadian Press (NSI News Source Info) MONTREAL, Canada - May 18, 2010: Canadian aerospace manufacturer Heroux-Devtek Inc. has landed $16 million in new contracts from the U.S. air force and navy for landing gear components. The orders are mainly for five aircraft, including the B-1B, C-130 Hercules transport, C-5 transport and P-3 surveillance planes. Production will be spread out over the next four years, with deliveries starting in fiscal year 2011. The Montreal-area company (TSX: HRX.TO) said Tuesday the orders demonstrate the strength of the military aerospace market. Chief executive Gilles Labbe said "is a major constituent of our ability to efficiently service the needs of the global military aerospace market." Heroux-Devtek's aerospace segments supplies the commercial and military sectors with landing gear systems and airframe structural components. About 65 per cent of the company's sales are outside Canada, mainly in the United States. The company also has an industrial products segment that makes large power generation components.

DTN News: Boeing Receives Follow-On Contract To Upgrade B-1 Bomber's Avionics Software

DTN News: Boeing Receives Follow-On Contract To Upgrade B-1 Bomber's Avionics Software *Source: DTN News / Boeing (NSI News Source Info) LONG BEACH, Calif., - October 30, 2009: The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA] today announced it has received an $84 million contract from the U.S. Air Force for additional upgrades of the B-1 bomber fleet's avionics software. The award continues a software-sustainment program that has continually updated and improved the B-1's operational capabilities since the aircraft entered service in 1989. This new contract authorizes Boeing to start work on Sustainment Block 16 (SB 16). Each software sustainment block includes changes to navigation; weapon delivery; radar; electrical multiplexing; communication/navigation management system software; and controls and displays. Boeing engineers in Long Beach and Oklahoma City deliver the latest avionics software once a year for the Air Force's fleet of 66 B-1s. SB 14 is in flight test at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., and will be delivered to the Air Force in 2011. SB 15 will be delivered in 2012, and design and development work for SB 16 will begin immediately. "We are honored to continue providing these upgrades to the Air Force and are excited about all the B-1 potential that will be provided with SB 16," said Mahesh Reddy, B-1 program director for Boeing. "This major block will enhance the aircraft's color cockpit displays, data link, radar and navigation in ways that will significantly improve B-1 aircrews' ability to execute their missions." Another B-1 milestone that Boeing accomplished this year was the July 30 first flight of a B-1 upgraded with the Fully Integrated Data Link (FIDL). This upgrade includes new processors, color displays and communications architecture, enhancing B-1 crews' situational awareness and communications capability. The FIDL aircraft is also in flight test at Edwards. The multi-mission B-1 has been carrying the largest strike payload in the Air Force inventory since its combat debut. Its low radar cross-section, variable-geometry wings, advanced avionics, and afterburning engines combine to provide long range, maneuverability, high speed and survivability. A unit of The Boeing Company, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems is one of the world's largest space and defense businesses specializing in innovative and capabilities-driven customer solutions, and the world's largest and most versatile manufacturer of military aircraft. Headquartered in St. Louis, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems is a $32 billion business with 70,000 employees worldwide.

DTN News: Boeing B-1 Upgraded With Fully Integrated Data Link Completes 1st Flight

DTN News: Boeing B-1 Upgraded With Fully Integrated Data Link Completes 1st Flight *Source: DTN News / Boeing (NSI News Source Info) LONG BEACH, Calif., - August 14, 2009: Boeing [NYSE: BA] on July 29 successfully completed the first flight of a B-1 bomber upgraded with the Fully Integrated Data Link (FIDL). This upgrade includes new processors, color displays and communications architecture, enhancing B-1 crews' situational awareness and communications capability. Based on the B-1A bomber, the B-1B was developed by Rockwell International in the 1980s, when 100 of the aircraft were produced to support a nuclear mission and were stationed at Strategic Air Command (SAC) bases. In the 1990s, the B-1B was transitioned to a conventional-weapons mission. The U.S. Air Force 419th Test Squadron conducted the flight from Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. The objective of the FIDL development program is to enhance the B-1 bomber by integrating beyond line-of-sight and line-of-sight data links. The data links reduce crew workload by dynamically re-tasking missions, eliminating the need for steps such as manual entry of weapons data for targeting. In addition to the cockpit upgrades, the modification also improves and more tightly integrates the aft crew stations by replacing displays and associated hardware that were installed during aircraft production in the early 1980s. Additional upgrades include new open-architecture processors, mass-storage capability and an Ethernet network to integrate the aircraft's systems. Boeing personnel at Edwards Air Force Base have been modifying the test aircraft over the past year. B-1 program employees at Edwards, at the Boeing facility in Long Beach and in other locations developed and integrated the new system's hardware and software. "Our team worked closely with the Air Force and many other programs throughout Boeing as we performed independent reviews of product designs and gained valuable insight from employees performing similar development tasks," said Mahesh Reddy, Boeing B-1 program manager. "This cross-company teamwork led to our successful first flight, which brings us one step closer to completing this major B-1 upgrade for our customer." Flight testing will continue through 2010. The Air Force is expected to award a contract in November 2010 for the production of FIDL installation kits for the service's entire B-1 fleet. A unit of The Boeing Company, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems is one of the world's largest space and defense businesses specializing in innovative and capabilities-driven customer solutions, and the world's largest and most versatile manufacturer of military aircraft. Headquartered in St. Louis, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems is a $32 billion business with 70,000 employees worldwide. Contact: Lisa Maull Boeing IDS Communications 314-614-4583 lisa.a.maull@boeing.com Forrest Gossett Boeing IDS Communications 314-363-0650 forrest.s.gossett@boeing.com

DTN News: Lockheed Martin Awarded $23 Million For Production of JASSM-Extended Range Test Missiles

DTN News: Lockheed Martin Awarded $23 Million For Production of JASSM-Extended Range Test Missiles

*Source: DTN News / Lockheed Martin (NSI News Source Info) ORLANDO, Fla. - July 7, 2009: Lockheed Martin was awarded a $23 million contract for production of 12 Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile-Extended Range (JASSM-ER) test missiles to be used in flights tests. Six of the missiles will be used to complete the development test flight program, with the remaining six to be used in operational tests.

The JASSM project began in 1995 after the cancellation of the AGM-137 TSSAM project. The TSSAM was designed as a high precision stealthy missile for use at stand-off ranges, but poor management of the project resulted in rising costs. Since the requirement for such weapons still existed, the military quickly announced a follow-up project with similar goals. Initial contracts for two competing designs were awarded to McDonnell Douglas and Lockheed Martin in 1996, and the missile designations AGM-158A and AGM-159A were allocated to the two weapons. Lockheed Martin's AGM-158A won and a contract for further development was awarded in 1998. The AGM-158A is powered by a Teledyne CAE J402 turbojet. While carried the wings are folded to reduce size, flipping out on launch. There is a single vertical tail. Guidance is via inertial navigation with updating from a global positioning system. Target recognition and terminal homing is via an imaging infrared seeker. A data link allows the missile to transmit its location and status during flight, allowing improved bomb damage assessment. Accuracy is has been questionable and the program has been over funded resulting in considerations to drop the program entirely. The warhead is a WDU-42/B 450 kg (1000 lb) penetrator. The JASSM will be carried by a wide range of aircraft - the F-15E, F-16, F/A-18, F-35, B-1B, B-2 and B-52 are all intended to carry the weapon. All of the missiles will be tactically configured with an added test instrumentation kit. The missiles are assembled in Lockheed Martin's award-winning missile assembly facility in Pike County, AL. "These tests will demonstrate the maturity of the JASSM-ER design, and support the Milestone C decision to proceed with low rate initial production of the missile," said Alan Jackson, director of the JASSM and JASSM-ER programs at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control. The AGM-158 JASSM (Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile) is a standoff cruise missile developed in the United States. Finland planned to purchase JASSM missiles for the Finnish Air Force as part of modernization plans of its F/A-18 Hornet fleet. In February 2007 the United States declined to sell the missiles, while agreeing to proceed as planned with other modernization efforts (the so-called Mid-Life Update 2, or MLU2). This episode led to speculation in the Finnish media on the state of Finnish - American diplomatic relations. The Defense Acquisition and Program Administration (DAPA) of South Korea has announced that it is planning to purchase and equip ROKAF's fleet of F-15K Slam Eagles with JASSM by 2010 to 2011. The flight tests will be launched from a B-1B aircraft and engage various tactical targets. JASSM-ER has a 100 percent success rate, currently four-for-four in developmental flight tests. The development and procurement of JASSM-ER is a key element of the B-1B reinvestment strategy. The additional range provided by the JASSM-ER variant benefits the B-1B with responsive, precision-engagement capability, while remaining clear of highly-defended airspace and beyond the range of long-range, surface-to-air missiles. One of the primary JASSM-ER program objectives is to provide the Warfighter with a significant operational capability more than 2.5 times the baseline missile range. The JASSM-ER maintains the same outer mold line, survivability and lethality of the baseline JASSM missile. A 2,000-pound class weapon with a dual-mode penetrator and blast fragmentation warhead, JASSM cruises autonomously in adverse weather, day or night, using a state-of-the-art infrared seeker in addition to the enhanced digital anti-jam Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver to find a specific aimpoint on the target.

Its stealthy airframe makes it extremely difficult for air defense systems to engage. The JASSM-ER missile design will be compatible with the threshold B-1B platform, as well as the B-2, B-52 and F-16 aircraft that currently employ JASSM. Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global security company that employs about 146,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The corporation reported 2008 sales of $42.7 billion.

DTN News: Boeing Team Rebuilds B-1 'Backbone' For US Air Force

DTN News: Boeing Team Rebuilds B-1 'Backbone' For US Air Force

*Source: Boeing IDS Communications

(NSI News Source Info) LONG BEACH, Calif., - May 29, 2009: A U.S. Air Force B-1B bomber returned to flight last week after a team led by The Boeing Company replaced its catastrophically damaged upper-center boron longeron – the aircraft's "backbone." The B-1, Swift Justice, was damaged during a routine training mission in December 2007. An engine-bleed air duct rupture triggered a temperature warning light, forcing the crew to land the aircraft at Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D.

A U.S. Air Force B-1B bomber returned to flight last week after a team led by The Boeing Company replaced its catastrophically damaged upper-center boron longeron -– the aircraft's "backbone." Here, the longeron is reinstalled at the Boeing Recovery and Modification Services Center in Long Beach, Calif. Replacing the upper-center boron longeron, which is essential for stability in flight, is not a simple task because the part is unique to each aircraft, with no spares available. “The boron backbone of the B-1 is an aggressive composite design, even by today’s standards,” said Mahesh Reddy, B-1 program director for Boeing Global Services & Support. “In order to perform the repair, we worked with the Air Force and industry partners to remanufacture the entire part.” Boeing Integrated Defense Systems and Boeing Commercial Airplanes employees from sites across the company worked together with the Air Force and material vendors to re-create the damaged part. Specialty Materials Inc. in Lowell, Mass., the original boron/epoxy supplier, provided 14,000 feet of 4-inch-wide unidirectional tape to fabricate the longeron. Cytec Engineered Materials Inc., in Tempe, Ariz., supplied the adhesive film and adhesive primer. Due to the part's complexity and 47.5-foot length, the Boeing Composite Fabrication & Assembly Center in Seattle was selected to perform the layup and cure the part in its 90-foot-deep autoclave. “The return to flight of this B-1 is a perfect example of how Boeing solves issues by applying skills and capabilities from across the company, our suppliers and our customer,” said Reddy. A unit of The Boeing Company, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems is one of the world's largest space and defense businesses specializing in innovative and capabilities-driven customer solutions, and the world’s largest and most versatile manufacturer of military aircraft. Headquartered in St. Louis, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems is a $32 billion business with 70,000 employees worldwide.

Boeing Completes Critical Design Review For FAB-T Software-Defined Radio

Boeing Completes Critical Design Review For FAB-T Software-Defined Radio

(NSI News Source Info) February 8, 2009: The U.S. Air Force is installing a high-speed satellite communications terminal in its heavy bombers. This FAB-T (Family of Advanced Beyond Line-of-Sight Terminals) enables the aircraft to communicate at broadband Internet rates (8 megabits a second). The FAB-T can also communicate with other ground and airborne radios that can share data files (video, pictures, audio). The point of all this is to enable aircraft to share all useful data with nearby aircraft and ground troops, and enable the bomber to drop its smart bombs faster and more accurately. Speed is often critical, as ground targets are frequently enemy gunmen or vehicles, who can quickly move. Since FAB-T can also handle highly encrypted messages, which makes it is useful for messages to and from bombers carrying nuclear weapons. The U.S. Air Force is again interested in the nuclear weapons capabilities of its 162 heavy bombers (19 B-2s, 67 B-1s and 76 B-52s). Unlike ballistic missiles, heavy bombers carrying nukes can be recalled or switch targets at the last minute. But you want those messages to be heavily encrypted, and FAB-T can handle that.

The Boeing Company has successfully completed the systemwide Critical Design Review (CDR) for its Family of Advanced Beyond line-of-sight Terminals (FAB-T) satellite communications program, paving the way for implementation of a new data capability. The CDR, which was conducted Oct. 28-30 for senior military, government and industry officials, demonstrated that the program's requirements are well defined and understood, as required in the FAB-T contract managed by the U.S. Air Force. The Boeing Terminal Test team established log on, downlink, and uplink connections with a Milstar 6 satellite -- a first step toward implementing Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) satellite Extended Data Rate (XDR) capability. "Our design solution and program management have been validated as we've successfully executed this contract and completed this systemwide design review," said Jim Dodd, FAB-T program director for Boeing. "Formal qualification testing will further validate the terminals' interoperability and satellite interfaces." The FAB-T system includes software-defined radios, antennas and user-interface hardware that will enable the government to host numerous waveforms that accommodate data rates in excess of 300 megabits per second. Once operational, FAB-T will provide critical, secure beyond line-of-sight communications capability for warfighters via several satellites that support military forces. Boeing expects to begin deliveries of engineering development modules to the Air Force this year for FAB-T Increment 1, which incorporates airborne operational requirements for the Milstar and AEHF satellite systems. These units will be deployed to the various airborne users for integration with onboard mission systems. Flight testing of these modules is currently planned for mid-2009. FAB-T Increment 1 is a key enabler of network-centric communications. It will provide strategic forces with a multi-mission-capable family of software-defined radios that use common open system architecture to link to different satellites and enable information exchange between ground, air and space platforms. FAB-T represents a key building block in Boeing's vision of the integrated battlespace of the future, where networked information and communications systems provide a competitive edge to decision-makers and military personnel. In the next phase, Increment 2, Boeing will develop terminals to support Wideband Global SATCOM satellite operations on surveillance aircraft such as Global Hawk, with other platforms expected to follow.

U.S. Air Force Being Deprived From Forthcoming New Technology B-3X Bomber Due To Lack Of Funding By DoD

U.S. Air Force Being Deprived From Forthcoming New Technology B-3X Bomber Due To Lack Of Funding By DoD

(NSI News Source Info) February 2, 2009: The U.S. Department of Defense has told the U.S. Air Force that there will be no more money for developing a new heavy bomber. Not for a while, anyway. That will slowdown the decade long air force effort to get a new heavy bomber, but won't stop it. Since the late 90s, the air force has been U.S. Air Force is working on a replacement for its current force of heavy bombers (19 B-2s, 67 B-1s and 76 B-52s).

Models of what the new bomber might look like have been shown, and the "B-3" (officially the NGB, or New Generation Bomber) looks like the B-2. There were two proposals (from Northrop Grumman and Boeing). Both look like the B-2. For the Northrop Grumman proposal, the main difference is that the stubby wings are "cranked" (moved forward a bit, rather than continuing in a straight line from the body of the aircraft). These derivative designs were apparently favored because the air force knew it was unlikely to get the money for a radical (and expensive) new design. Now they've been told they won't even get money for a "B-2 Lite." There was also talk of building the B-3 so it could operate with, or without, a crew. The air force had rejected suggestions that the B-3 be a UAV. But now it looks like that may change, as a B-3 UAV would be cheaper, and a future project more likely to get funded. The air force hoped to get the B-3 into service in by 2018. That is no longer possible, even though the air force has already spent several billion dollars of its money on B-3 development. All is not lost.

The B-3 spec called for a smaller and stealthier aircraft that carried a ten ton bomb load (less than half what current heavy bombers haul). This recognizes the efficiency of smart bombs, which are more than a hundred times more effective than unguided bombs. Meanwhile, the most cost-effective bombers continue to be the half century old B-52s, simply because they are cheaper to operate. The well maintained B-52s are quite sturdy and have, on average, only 16,000 flying hours on them. The air force estimates that the B-52s won't become un-maintainable until they reach 28,000 flight hours. Thus these aircraft could serve another 20 or more years.

The B-1 and B-2 were meant to provide a high tech (and much more expensive) replacement for the B-52, but the end of the Cold War made that impractical. The kinds of anti-aircraft threats the B-1 and B-2 were designed to deal with never materialized. This left the B-52 as the most cost effective way to deliver bombs. The B-1s and B-2s are getting some of the same weapons carrying and communications upgrades as the B-52, if only because these more modern aircraft provide a more expensive backup for the B-52. In the last half century, the air force has developed six heavy bombers (the 240 ton B-52 in 1955, the 74 ton B-58 in 1960, the 47 ton FB-111 in 1969, the 260 ton B-70 in the 1960s, the 236 ton B-1 in 1985, and the 181 ton B-2 in 1992.) All of these were developed primarily to deliver nuclear weapons (bombs or missiles), but have proved more useful dropping non-nuclear bombs.

Only the B-70 was cancelled before being deployed. The B-1 was delayed and almost cancelled, but proved that the air force would do anything to keep the heavy bombers coming. The way this is going, it's likely that the next heavy bomber will be smaller (60-100 tons) subsonic, stealthy, uninhabited and familiar looking. The air force will probably have to propose a substantially cheaper aircraft as well, if they ever want to get Department of Defense backing for a new heavy bomber.

In any event, initial plans for the B-3 called for heavy use of breakthrough (not invented yet) technologies, and getting the wonder bird into service sometime in the 2020s. That was quickly dropped when the cost of the B-2 (two billion dollars per aircraft) became another media feeding frenzy. The B-3 will have to be cheaper, and one way to achieve that will be to dispense with the crew. It will be interesting to see how this plays out.

U.S. Air Force Retaining B-52 Force For Foreseeable Future In Service Until At Least 2040

U.S. Air Force Retaining B-52 Force For Foreseeable Future In Service Until At Least 2040

(NSI News Source Info) January 25, 2009: The U.S. Air Force is going back to the future, by creating a new B-52 squadron, so that it will be possible to give all squadrons time to train for nuclear bombing missions. With a max takeoff weight of 240-250 tons, the BUFF (Big Ugly Fat Fellow) is basically a large aircraft designed to carry bombs cheaply and efficiently. Currently, the B-52 force is limited, by law, to 76 aircraft. The current four squadrons each have 14 bombers and 17 crews. The remaining aircraft are assigned to a training squadron, or idle while awaiting upgrades. Twenty B-52s will get electronic and mechanical upgrades that will make all 76 of equal capability. To obtain the aircraft for the fifth squadron, each unit will now have 13 aircraft and 15 crews. The active duty training squadron will become the fifth operational squadron, and the reserve training squadron will take over all the training duties it used to share with the active duty squadron. The Air Force intends to keep the B-52 in service until at least 2040, an unprecedented length of service for a military aircraft. B-52s are periodically refurbished at the USAF maintenance depots such as Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma. Boeing suggested re-engining the B-52H fleet with the Rolls-Royce RB211 534E-4. This would involve replacing the eight Pratt & Whitney TF33s (total thrust 8 × 17,000 lb) with four RB211s (total thrust 4 × 37,400lb). The RR engines will increase the range and payload of the fleet and reduce fuel consumption. However, the cost of the project would be significant. Procurement would cost approximately US$2.56 billion (US$36 million × 71 aircraft). A Government Accountability Office study of the proposal concluded that Boeing's estimated savings of US$4.7 billion would not be realized. They found that it would cost the Air Force US$1.3 billion over keeping the existing engines. This was subsequently disputed in a Defense Sciences Board report in 2003 and revised in 2004 that identified numerous errors in the prior evaluation of the Boeing proposal, and urged the Air Force to re-engine the aircraft without delay. Further, the DSB report stated the program would save substantial funds, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and increase aircraft range and endurance, duplicating the results of a Congressionally funded US$3M program office study conducted in 2003. The USAF continues to rely on the B-52 because it remains an effective and economical heavy bomber, particularly in the type of missions that have been conducted since the end of the Cold War, mainly against nations that have limited air defense capabilities. The B-52's capacity to "loiter" for extended periods over (or even well outside) the battlefield, while delivering precision standoff and direct fire munitions, has been a valuable asset in conflicts such as Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. The B-52 is the cheapest, to operate, heavy bomber in the air force, and one of them can cover all of Afghanistan. B-52s are based on the Indian Ocean island of Diego Garcia when they are supporting operations in Iraq or Afghanistan. With five squadrons, there will be time available for squadrons to train each year for nuclear missions (using nuclear armed cruise missiles), while still covering overseas obligations. During the Afghanistan war in late 2001, ten B-52s dropped a third of the bomb tonnage. That's a remarkable record for a fifty-year-old aircraft design. The B-52 carried that much of the load because it's the most cost-effective heavy bomber we have. The B-52 has a lower accident rate than the B-1 and B-2. Compared to the supersonic B-1 and high-tech B-2, the B-52 is a flying truck. Thus the B-52, despite its age, was the cheapest, safest and most reliable way to deliver smart bombs over Afghanistan. Lacking the supersonic speed of the B-1, or the stealth and automation of the B-2, the B-52 can carry up to 150 tons of fuel, and normally carries 12-20 tons of bombs (max load of 35 tons). What made the B-52 so useful in the Afghanistan war is its ability to stay in the air for so long. The B-52s flying out of the Indian Ocean island of Diego Garcia to Afghanistan typically stayed in the air for some 16 hours. Since it can refuel in the air, the B-52 can fly anywhere in the world with a load of bombs or missiles. Over Afghanistan, carrying a dozen 2000-pound JDAM (GPS-guided bombs), or a larger number of smaller bombs, a B-52 could circle a combat area for hours, waiting for the special forces guys or Air Force controllers on the ground to send them the coordinates of a target. The JDAM landed (over 90 percent of the time) within 50 feet of the location the ground troopers wanted it. Better yet, most of the bombs arrived within ten minutes of the request. Surviving enemy troops admitted that they were demoralized once they realized how this was working. At that point, the enemy fighters knew that if they saw Americans looking at them with binoculars (that included a laser range finder, to provide the B-52 with precise location data for the target), they had ten minutes to run away, or die. And often the enemy troops didn't know they were being set up for a JDAM. No place was safe from the one ton JDAMs. If you ran into a cave, it had better have another exit, because the JDAM would permanently close the one you just entered. The B-52 can carry a large variety of weapons, including eight Harpoon anti-ship missiles and 20 cruise missiles. The B-52 has seen a lot of action in Vietnam, the Persian Gulf War, in the Balkans and over Afghanistan. The B-52 prototype first flew in 1952. The last one built, a B-52H, was in late 1962. It's a large aircraft, with a wingspan of 185 feet, a length of 159 feet and a height of 17.5 feet (to the top of the fuselage, 40.6 feet to the top of the tail). Empty weight is 86 tons. It has a crew of five (pilot, copilot, navigator, electronics warfare officer and radar navigator). There used to be a gunner for a rear-firing 20mm cannon, but this was eliminated in the 1990s. Automation can reduce this even more. The 1970s era B-1 has a crew of four, and the 1980s era B-2 has a crew of two. The only B-52s flying are the B-52H model, all built in the early 1960s. A true replacement for the B-52 was never built because no one foresaw the development of such accurate smart bombs, and the ability of the U. S. Air Force to destroy most anti-aircraft defenses. Indeed, even when faced with heavy defenses, the B-52 was able to fight its way through. During the twelve days of Linebacker II raids against North Vietnam in 1972, 15 B-52s were shot down by Soviet-built SAM-2 missiles. The 150 B-52s stationed in Guam flew 729 missions, for a loss rate of two percent. But because of the number of sorties flown, ten percent of the B-52s involved were brought down. Of the 92 airmen in the downed aircraft, 33 died. After Vietnam, the B-52s received several generations of new electronic warfare equipment, learning much from the experience during Linebacker II. But there never was enough money to keep the B-52 completely up to date, especially with the equipment needed to use some of the newer bombs. Some B-52s got their JDAM equipment just before the 2001 war in Afghanistan. And this was mainly because the upgrade was cheap - wiring from the weapons officer's station to the bombs so GPS location data could be changed in flight. The 50-year-old B-52 became the weapon of choice over Afghanistan, able to hang around for hours and drop one-ton JDAM bombs on demand. The B-52 was upgraded to use JDAM before the B-1B because the B-52 is more reliable. Currently, the Air Force has the capacity to shut down the high-altitude missiles systems of just about anyone, and then bring the B-52s in at high altitude to avoid low-altitude anti-aircraft guns and mobile antiaircraft missile systems. The B-1 and B-2 were built to deal with even more intense antiaircraft defenses. But with the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, no one else has such a system. Perhaps, in the future, a nation like China may build another such formidable antiaircraft defense system. For the moment, because of the lack of first rate air defenses to stop it, the B-52 can still hack it in the combat zone, even delivering nuclear weapons.