DTN News: US Air Force Takes 'Cautious' Approach To New Bomber

DTN News: US Air Force Takes 'Cautious' Approach To New Bomber

Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources

(NSI News Source Info) WASHINGTON - September 15, 2010: The US military remains committed to building a new long-range bomber but will take a "cautious" approach to avoid costly disasters from past weapons programs, the Air Force's top official said Monday. The "long-range strike" project also will be focused mainly on delivering conventional rather than nuclear weapons, Air Force Secretary Michael Donley said. While the Air Force was "confident" about the need to develop a new way to strike at a long-distance, it was mindful of past mistakes in bomber programs plagued by delays and cost overruns, he said. "We approach the issue with both confidence and caution," Donley told the Air Force Association. "Cautious not to repeat the painful experience of previous Air Force bomber programs: narrowly focused capabilities, high risk technologies, and high costs contributing to affordability problems, leading to program cancellations, or low inventories," he said. His comments reinforced warnings from Defense Secretary Robert Gates, who has vowed to streamline how the Pentagon operates to free up money for urgent needs and vital weapons. In a press conference after his speech, Donley cited problems with the F-111, B-1 and B-2 bombers, and said the Air Force wanted to rely on proven, existing technologies instead of breaking new ground for the next generation bomber. He said the fleet would need to be large enough to last over a 30-year period, unlike the B-2 bomber fleet that ended up much smaller than hoped due to high costs.

Twenty B-2s are operated by the United States Air Force. The cost of each aircraft averaged US$737 million in 1997 dollars. Total procurement costs averaged US$929 million per aircraft, which includes spare parts, equipment, retrofitting, and software support. The total program cost, which includes development, engineering and testing, averaged US$2.1 billion per aircraft (in 1997 dollars). Donley also said the long-range platform could be an aircraft or a missile, and that nothing had been ruled out while military planners review various studies on the project. The Air Force would unveil more details for the program in the proposed budget for fiscal year 2012, he said.

DTN News: Northrop Grumman, Air Force Set To Resolve Critical B-2 Sustainment Issue

DTN News: Northrop Grumman, Air Force Set To Resolve Critical B-2 Sustainment Issue

*Redesign of Bomber's Aft Deck Promises to Reduce Maintenance Costs, Improve Aircraft Availability Source: DTN News / Northrop Grumman (NSI News Source Info) PALMDALE, Calif.,- March 2, 2010: Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC - News) and the U.S. Air Force hope to soon resolve, once and for all, a technical issue that's challenged engineers and maintainers of the nation's fleet of B-2 stealth bombers for more than 20 years: cracking in the B-2's aft deck, a metallic panel on the bomber's upper surface that shields its composite airframe from the heat of engine exhaust. A photo accompanying this release can be found at http://media.globenewswire.com/noc/mediagallery.html?pkgid=7168 The team has just completed a paper "fly-off" between two alternate approaches for redesigning the aft deck. The goal of the program is to develop and produce a new aft deck that can span normal long-term B-2 maintenance cycles without needing additional service or repairs. Northrop Grumman is the Air Force's prime contractor for the B-2, the flagship of the nation's long range strike arsenal, and one of the most survivable air systems in the world. "Resolving the aft deck problem is an important part of guaranteeing the long term viability of the B-2," said Dave Mazur, Northrop Grumman's vice president of long range strike and B-2 program manager. "We are committed to helping the Air Force develop and implement the solution that is in the best long term interests of both the B-2 fleet and U.S. taxpayers." Located behind the B-2's exhaust outlets, the aft deck is exposed to extreme temperatures and acoustic-induced vibrations, making it vulnerable to fatigue and cracking. "The key to producing a reliable, high performance aft deck is creating a balance between stiffness and flexibility," explains Chuck Osberg, Northrop Grumman's aft deck program manager. "If the deck is too flexible, high cycle fatigue will cause premature failure; if it's too stiff it can put undue stress on adjacent structures." According to Osberg, the winning aft deck design -- a fundamentally new approach -- was selected on the basis of cost and performance. It reflects many years of thermal and structural analysis of the aft deck, the structures to which it attaches and its operating environment by Northrop Grumman engineers. It also includes new stiffening elements designed to significantly reduce the vibration and metal fatigue currently experienced in flight by the aft deck. The aft deck upgrade program is the latest in a series of modernizations that the Air Force, Northrop Grumman and its subcontractors have undertaken to ensure that the B-2 remains fully capable against evolving threats. The B-2 Spirit stealth bomber is one of the most survivable aircraft in the world. It remains the only long-range, large-payload aircraft that can penetrate deeply into protected airspace. In concert with the Air Force's air superiority fleet, which provides airspace control, and the Air Force's tanker fleet, which enables global mobility, the B-2 helps ensure an effective U.S. response to threats anywhere in the world. It can fly more than 6,000 nautical miles unrefueled and more than 10,000 nautical miles with just one aerial refueling, giving it the ability to reach any point on the globe within hours. Northrop Grumman Corporation is a leading global security company whose 120,000 employees provide innovative systems, products, and solutions in aerospace, electronics, information systems, shipbuilding and technical services to government and commercial customers worldwide.

DTN News: U.S. Air Force, Northrop Grumman Celebrate 20th Anniversary Of B-2 Stealth Bomber's First Flight

DTN News: U.S. Air Force, Northrop Grumman Celebrate 20th Anniversary Of B-2 Stealth Bomber's First Flight

*Revolutionary Aircraft Remains World's Most Powerful, Most Survivable Airborne Weapon System

*Source: DTN News / Northrop Grumman Corporation

(NSI News Source Info) PALMDALE, Calif., - July 19, 2009: Twenty years ago on July 17, the first Air Force/Northrop Grumman Corporation-developed B-2 Spirit stealth bomber, a tailless, bat-like flying wing named The Spirit of America, lifted off for its maiden flight from Air Force Plant 42 here. That historic flight from Palmdale to Edwards Air Force Base lasted just over two hours, but it would alter forever the face and nature of modern air warfare. A B-2 Spirit stealth bomber, "The Spirit of New York" flies over Northrop Grumman's 20th anniversary celebration of the first flight of the B-2. The event was held Friday, July 17 2009 at the company's B-2 program headquarters in Palmdale, Calif. First flight of the first B-2, a tailless, bat-like flying wing named the Spirit of America, occurred July 17, 1989 from the same facility. Photo/Northrop Grumman Corp./Susan Goldman Photography More than a thousand Northrop Grumman employees and Air Force officials gathered today at the company's B-2 program headquarters in Palmdale to celebrate the significance and lasting effects of that first flight. Northrop Grumman is the Air Force's prime contractor for the B-2, the flagship of the nation's long range strike arsenal. "The B-2 is the product of an innovative and enduring partnership between Northrop Grumman and the U.S. Air Force, a partnership that began even before we signed our first B-2 contract in 1981," said Ronald D. Sugar, Northrop Grumman's chairman and chief executive officer. "Over the years, this team's unmatched engineering skills, imagination and determination to succeed have produced, and today maintain, the most powerful airborne weapon system the world has ever known. We're looking forward to continuing that strong partnership as we work to modernize and keep the B-2 fleet vibrant for many decades to come." The anniversary event included remarks by Col. James Dawkins, USAF, Commander, 509th Operations Group; Bruce Hinds, Northrop Grumman's former chief test pilot who piloted the Spirit of America on its first flight; and Gary W. Ervin, president of Northrop Grumman's Aerospace Systems sector. Dave Mazur, vice president and Northrop Grumman's B-2 program manager, also made a surprise entrance to the ceremony on the B-2 Stealth Bike, the B-2 themed motorcycle that was featured on the 2009 season premiere of the reality cable TV series "American Chopper." Attendees to the ceremony also had a rare opportunity to see a B-2 in flight when the "Spirit of New York" based at nearby Edwards AFB passed over Palmdale as part of a training flight. "The B-2 remains one of the most iconic symbols of freedom for our nation," said Brig Gen Robert E. Wheeler, USAF, Commander, 509th Bomb Wing, Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo. "Its readiness to protect America's interests anywhere in the world is a testament to the talents, courage and the daily sacrifices of the airmen who fly and maintain the fleet today." The B-2 is the only aircraft that combines stealth, long range, large payload and precision weapons delivery in a single platform. Its unique capabilities allow it to penetrate an enemy's most sophisticated defenses and put at risk the most heavily defended targets. The B-2 fleet today consists of 20 aircraft: 19 operational aircraft and one flight test aircraft. The 509th Bomb Wing, a part of Air Force's Air Combat Command, flies and maintains the fleet from its home at Whiteman AFB, Mo. The 702nd Aeronautical Systems Group at Wright Patterson AFB serves as the acquisition arm and overall lead for the B-2 program. The Air Force's Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center manages the sustainment of the fleet and ensures the availability of spare parts. Northrop Grumman performs periodic programmed depot maintenance on the fleet at its B-2 program headquarters in Palmdale, in the same facilities used to assemble and test the B-2s in the 1980s. The company also leads a variety of B-2 modernization programs designed to improve the aircraft's radar, communications, and weapons delivery capabilities. These programs provide the technological foundation for enhancing the aircraft's capabilities in the future, and help ensure that it remains as capable against evolving threats in the future as the day it first entered the Air Force inventory. Northrop Grumman Corporation is a leading global security company whose 120,000 employees provide innovative systems, products, and solutions in aerospace, electronics, information systems, shipbuilding and technical services to government and commercial customers worldwide.

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.

B-2 20th Anniversary Celebration Lands In Dayton / U.S. Air Force, Northrop Grumman To Commemorate Successful Bomber Partnership

B-2 20th Anniversary Celebration Lands In Dayton / U.S. Air Force, Northrop Grumman To Commemorate Successful Bomber Partnership

(NSI News Source Info) DAYTON, Ohio - May 2, 2009: The nearly 30-year B-2 stealth bomber partnership between the Air Force and Northrop Grumman Corporation will be center stage on Friday evening May 1 at the National Museum of the United States Air Force, Wright Patterson AFB, Ohio. The Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit is a multirole heavy bomber with "low observable" stealth technology capable of penetrating dense anti-aircraft defenses to deploy both conventional and nuclear weapons. Because of its considerable capital and operations costs, the project was controversial in Congress and among Pentagon brass during its development and placement into service. During the late 1980s and early 1990s, the United States scaled back initial plans to purchase 132 of the bombers. By the mid 1990s, Congress made appropriations to purchase a total fleet of just 21 of the bombers. The cost of each air vehicle averaged US$737 million per plane in 1997 dollars. Total procurement costs averaged US$929 million per plane, which includes spare parts, equipment, retrofitting, and software support. The total program cost, which includes development, engineering and testing, averaged US$2.1 billion per aircraft (in 1997 dollars). A private gala hosted by the Air Force will become the latest stop in a year-long series of festivities designed to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the first flight of the B-2. The event will feature comments and perspective by B-2 program leaders past and present. Northrop Grumman is the Air Force's prime contractor for the B-2, the flagship of the nation's long range strike arsenal. The first flight of the B-2 took place on July 17, 1989 from Palmdale, Calif. "The B-2 Spirit stealth bomber is the one of the most powerful, most survivable airborne weapon systems in the world today, and, in my opinion, the finest aircraft ever developed and put into service for our country," said Col. Kevin Harms, USAF, Commander, 702nd Aeronautical Systems Group. "We are currently engaged in several modernization efforts to keep this great aircraft flying for many years to come. I would like to recognize and thank the men, women and families of Wright Patterson Air Force Base whose dedicated service to the B-2 program helps keep the fleet ready at all times to defend America's interests anywhere in the world." "Northrop Grumman is honored to be the Air Force's partner in developing, producing and today sustaining this most treasured of national assets," said Dave Mazur, vice president of long range strike and B-2 program manager for Northrop Grumman's Aerospace Systems sector. "We remain committed to modernizing and maintaining the fleet so that it remains as capable against enemy threats in the future as the day the first aircraft rolled off the assembly line." The B-2 museum gala will include a cocktail party held in the shadow of a ground-test version of a B-2 named the "Spirit of Freedom," the world's only B-2 aircraft on permanent public display. Also on display will be a B-2 themed motorcycle that Northrop Grumman commissioned and paid for as part of the 20th anniversary year celebration. The B-2 Stealth Bike was designed and built by Orange County Choppers, Newburgh, N.Y. It was featured on the season premiere of the cable reality show "American Chopper," which airs on TLC. The B-2 fleet today consists of 20 aircraft: 19 operational aircraft and one flight test aircraft. The 509th Bomb Wing, a part of Air Force's Air Combat Command, flies and maintains the fleet from its home at Whiteman AFB, Mo. The 702 Aeronautical Systems Group at Wright Patterson AFB serves as the acquisition arm and overall lead for the B-2 program. The Air Force's Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center manages the sustainment and ensures the availability of spare parts for the fleet. Northrop Grumman performs periodic programmed depot maintenance on the fleet at its B-2 program headquarters in Palmdale, Calif., in the same facilities used to assemble and test the B-2s in the 1980s. The company also leads a variety of B-2 modernization programs designed to improve the aircraft's radar, communications, and weapons delivery capabilities. Northrop Grumman Corporation is a leading global security company whose 120,000 employees provide innovative systems, products, and solutions in aerospace, electronics, information systems, shipbuilding and technical services to government and commercial customers worldwide.

U.S. Pairs B-2 Bombers, F-22s In Guam For First Time

U.S. Pairs B-2 Bombers, F-22s In Guam For First Time

(NSI News Source Info) March 2, 2009: The United States has begun operating two types of radar-evading aircraft, a bomber and a fighter, for the first time together in the Pacific, the head of U.S. air forces in the region said on Friday. The pairing of advanced B-2 bombers and F-22 fighters in the region follows what the United States and its allies suspect are preparations by North Korea to test fire a long-range Taepodong-2 missile capable of striking U.S. soil. USAF B-2 Spirit: The cost of each air vehicle averaged US$737 million per plane in 1997 dollars. Total procurement costs averaged US$929 million per plane, which includes spare parts, equipment, retrofitting, and software support. The total program cost, which includes development, engineering, and testing, averaged US$2.1 billion per aircraft in 1997 dollars. North Korea said on Tuesday it planned to launch a satellite on a rocket as a part of a peaceful space program. Air Force General Howie Chandler, commander of U.S. Pacific Air Forces, said the deployment was not designed to deliver a political message. But the move showcases an element of advanced U.S. military power in the Pacific at a time of tension over North Korea. Chandler said the B-2s had been sent as part of a rotational bomber presence operating from Guam's Andersen Air Force Base since 2004. The F-22s were brought from Elmendorf Air Force Base in Alaska to take advantage of better winter flying weather, he added. "So the opportunity to deploy them both together came together for us," he said in a brief interview at a symposium on air warfare hosted by the U.S. Air Force Association in Orlando, Florida. "And it's a good opportunity for them to train together." Guam is a U.S. territory about 3,400 miles southwest of Hawaii. Its Andersen Air Force Base is a major operational hub for U.S. forces in the Pacific. Four Northrop Grumman Corp B-2 bombers from Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri replaced a rotational B-52 bomber unit on February 25 on Guam, said Colonel Donald Langley, a spokesman for Chandler, who is headquartered at Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii. A typical bomber rotation lasts four months, he said. "It just so happens that this is the first time" such a presence overlapped with the F-22s, built by Lockheed Martin Corp. Lockheed Martin has said it would start closing down the F-22 production line next week unless President Barack Obama opts to buy more than the 183 aircraft now on order.

B-2 Bomber, High Flying Stealth Technology Equal To High Costing Factor

B-2 Bomber, High Flying Stealth Technology Equal To High Costing Factor

(NSI News Source Info) February 25, 2009: The U.S. B-2 bomber takes a lot of heat for its high price. The 21 that were built ended up costing $2.1 billion each. About half of that was development expense. Actual construction costs for each of those aircraft was about $933 million each. Still pretty high, mainly because a lot of special machinery and factories had to be built to manufacture the many custom components.

The Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit (also known as the Stealth Bomber) is a multirole heavy bomber with "low observable" stealth technology capable of penetrating dense anti-aircraft defenses to deploy both conventional and nuclear weapons. Because of its considerable capital and operations costs, the project was controversial in Congress and among Pentagon brass during its development and placement into service. During the late 1980s and early 1990s, the United States scaled back initial plans to purchase 132 of the bombers. By the mid 1990s, Congress made appropriations to purchase a total fleet of just 21 of the bombers. The cost of each air vehicle averaged US$737 million per plane in 1997 dollars. Total procurement costs averaged US$929 million per plane, which includes spare parts, equipment, retrofitting, and software support. The total program cost, which includes development, engineering, and testing, averaged US$2.1 billion per aircraft in 1997 dollars. Twenty B-2s are operated by the United States Air Force. Though originally designed in the 1980s for Cold War operations scenarios, B-2s have been used in combat to drop bombs on Kosovo in the late 1990s, and see continued use during the ongoing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. One aircraft was lost when it crashed on takeoff in 2008.

The air force likes to point out that if the original (1986) plan had been followed, each B-2 would have cost $438 million each. But then the entire program would have cost $58.2 billion, versus $44.3 billion for the 21 plane program (which included $10 billion more R&D expense). New technology gives a weapon, especially an aircraft, an edge in combat. But since World War II, most military technology has been developed in peacetime conditions. This means it is more than twice as expensive, as there is no wartime urgency to overcome bureaucratic inertia (and emphasis on covering your ass, which is very time consuming and expensive) and hesitation (because you don't have a war going on to settle disputes over what will work best). Developing this technology takes longer in peacetime, which also raises the cost, and fewer units of a new weapon are produced (driving up the amount of development cost each weapon will have to carry.) If several hundred B-2s were produced under wartime conditions, each aircraft would have probably cost $200 million each, or less. In other words, a tenth of what it actually cost.

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.