Boeing is upgrading the communication systems of the U.S. Air Force B-52 bombers under a $76 million Combat Network Communications Technolo...
Boeing is upgrading the communication systems of the U.S. Air Force B-52 bombers under a $76 million Combat Network Communications Technology (CONECT) contract.
The upgrade will enable aircrews to send and receive information via satellite links, allowing crews to change mission plans and retarget weapons in flight and better interact with aircraft and ground forces.
To date, mission information has been uploaded to a B-52 only before a flight, not during. The upgrade, one of the largest improvements to the venerable bomber fleet, will therefore significantly improve B-52 effectiveness and flexibility.
The upgrade is scheduled to start at Tinker Air Base, Oklahoma in July. Each upgrade will take an estimated nine months to complete.
A CONECT kit was installed in a modified B-52 at Edwards AFB, California, and has been field tested for several years, Boeing spokesperson Jennifer Hogan said.
The CONECT contract covers low rate initial production of the first CONECT kits, along with spare parts and maintenance and service at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma.
System installation will begin during the latter part of 2014.
Other improvements will include a state-of-the-art computing network with workstations at each crew position and an integrated digital interphone with increased capacity; it will enable crew members to talk to one another on headsets with noise-cancelling technology.
The CONECT program will serve as the enabler for Network-Centric Operations (NCO) capability on the B-52 and will allow the Air Force to transform the aircraft's mission through information integration, both on-board and off-board the aircraft.
The CONECT program will improve the B-52's ability to share data with other military systems and platforms through enhanced communications, added tactical data links for increased situational awareness, and new technology allowing aircraft crews to dynamically retask missions and weapons during flight. Components include an architectural foundation of color displays, networks and computational assets, a Link-16 tactical data link, and an advanced wideband terminal which will provide B-52 crews significant enhancements in situational awareness and communication capabilities.
The B-52 Stratofortress is a long-range, strategic heavy bomber capable of dropping or launching the widest array of weapons in the U.S. inventory, used for strategic attack, air interdiction, offensive counter-air and maritime operations.
The B-52H was delivered to the US Air Force in 1961-62. The aircraft have been kept aloft through regular maintenance and periodic upgrades. For example, GPS capabilities were incorporated into their navigation systems in the late 1980s.
The latest version, the B-52H, can carry up to 20 air-launched cruise missiles. The B-52 has been one of the longest-serving bomber in U.S. military history.
