Sunday, May 22, 2022
  • About us
    • Write for us
    • Disclaimer
    • Terms of use
    • Privacy Policy
  • RSS Feeds
  • Advertise with us
  • Contact us
DefenceTalk
  • Home
  • Defense News
    • Defense & Geopolitics News
    • War Conflicts News
    • Army News
    • Air Force News
    • Navy News
    • Missiles Systems News
    • Nuclear Weapons
    • Defense Technology
    • Cybersecurity News
  • Military Photos
  • Defense Forum
  • Military Videos
  • Military Weapon Systems
    • Weapon Systems
    • Reports
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Defense News
    • Defense & Geopolitics News
    • War Conflicts News
    • Army News
    • Air Force News
    • Navy News
    • Missiles Systems News
    • Nuclear Weapons
    • Defense Technology
    • Cybersecurity News
  • Military Photos
  • Defense Forum
  • Military Videos
  • Military Weapon Systems
    • Weapon Systems
    • Reports
No Result
View All Result
DefenceTalk
No Result
View All Result

B-52 upgrade to increase smart-weapons capacity

by Air Force News Agency
January 9, 2014
in Air Force News
3 min read
0
X-51 Waverider makes historic hypersonic flight
14
VIEWS

Tinker AFB Airmen will update ground maintenance and mission planning software in support of a new Air Force contract that will increase the B-52 Stratofortress’s “smart-weapons” capacity by 50 percent.

The $24.6 million agreement stipulates that Boeing will develop a modification to existing weapon launchers so the aircraft can carry smart weapons in the bomb bay, which will enable aircrews to use the B-52’s entire weapons capacity.

“With this modification, we’re converting the bomb bay from dropping just gravity-type bombs to releasing precision-guided weapons,” said Jennifer Hogan of Boeing Communications.

“When you combine that ability with the B-52’s unlimited range with air refueling, you have an efficient and versatile weapon system that is valuable to warfighters on the ground,” said Scot Oathout, the Boeing’s B-52 program director. “This weapons capacity expansion joins the Combat Network Communications Technology (CONECT) program, a comprehensive communication upgrade that’s being installed on the aircraft, to give the warfighter even more flexibility.”

Boeing will produce three prototype launchers for test and evaluation. Initial capability is expected in March 2016, and potential follow-on efforts could add more weapons and allow a mixed load of different types of weapons.

Upon completion of the first phase of the upgrade, the B-52 will be able to carry two dozen 500-pound Joint Direct Attack Munitions or twenty 2,000-pound JDAMs. Later phases will add the Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile, or JASSM, and its extended-range variant, as well as the Miniature Air Launched Decoy, or MALD, and its jammer variant.

The bomb bay renovation will enable the B-52 to carry all of its weapons internally, thereby increasing fuel efficiency in flight. The modernization work will use parts from existing Air Force rotary launchers repurposed for conventional missions, as well as hardware and software already developed for the wing pylons.

Engineers from the 76th Software Maintenance Group, 557th Software Maintenance Squadron, B-52 Software Avionics Flight here, are modifying the 1760 Integrated Weapon Bay Upgrade, or IWBU Ground Maintenance Computer Program to test out the additional Integrated Weapon Interface Unit being added in the bay location on the B-52 in order to launch additional weapons from the weapons bay location.

The primary function of the Ground Maintenance Computer Program is to test the B-52 Offensive Avionics System Prime Mission Equipment that is capable of communicating with the Avionics Control Units via the MIL-STD-1553A data busses and the Fiber Channel. The Ground Maintenance Computer Program will detect faults and aid in fault isolation of Prime Mission Equipment Line Replaceable Units on the aircraft. The GMCP software will execute within the Avionics Control Units and communicate with the Line Replaceable Units via the MIL-STD-1553A data busses and the Fiber Channel. Ground testing of this effort will occur in late 2014.

In addition, engineers from the 76th SMXG, 557th SMXS, B-52 Software Avionics Flight are transitioning mission-planning software from a unix-based Mission Planning System to a Windows-based Joint Mission Planning System. The B-52 JMPS Unique Program Component v1.0 software release will include conventional mission planning support for B-52 Software Blocks 04 and 05. It also adds capability for all variants of JDAM, JASSM and MALD at the bay location to support capability added by the 1760 IWBU program. Formal Qualification Testing will be accomplished by July 2014, and the software will fielded by July 2015.

The CONECT system will enable Stratofortress aircrews to send and receive information via satellite links, which will enable them to change mission plans and retarget weapons while in flight; currently, mission information must be uploaded to a B-52 before a flight. In addition, pilots will be able to interact better with other aircraft and with ground forces.

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 that will allow crew members to talk to each other on headsets equipped with noise-canceling technology.

The $76 million CONECT upgrade installation will be performed during programmed depot maintenance by the 565th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, while Boeing will provide the low-rate initial production of the first CONECT kits, along with spare parts and maintenance and service at Tinker AFB.

The B-52H was delivered to the Air Force in 1961-62. Those 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. Citing engineering studies, Air Force officials have said the heavy bombers could keep flying for at least another quarter-century.

Tags: B-52bombersmart weaponsupgrades
Previous Post

Technology one step ahead of war laws

Next Post

Taiwan gets US submarine-launched missiles: report

Related Posts

Boeing shares dive as 777X delay, Air Force One woes lead to $1.2 bn loss

Boeing shares dive as 777X delay, Air Force One woes lead to $1.2 bn loss

April 27, 2022

Boeing shares were in free-fall early Wednesday after the aviation giant reported a $1.2 billion loss in an ugly quarter...

Ukraine Launches Air Exercises With NATO Countries

Ukraine receives fighter planes, parts to bolster air force: Pentagon

April 20, 2022

Ukraine has received fighter planes and aircraft parts to bolster its air force in the face of Russia's invasion, the...

Next Post
S.Korea stages anti-submarine drill amid tensions

Taiwan gets US submarine-launched missiles: report

Latest Defense News

EU warns Belarus opening door to Russian nukes after vote

New military bases in western Russia in response to NATO expansion: minister

May 20, 2022
NATO warns Russia readying for ‘full-scale attack’ on Ukraine

Signs multiply Russia seeks control of south Ukraine

May 20, 2022
Biden to announce anti-gun violence measures

Biden begins Asia trip in South Korea, under North nuclear shadow

May 20, 2022
Russian Army Receives More Iskander-M Tactical Ballistic Missile System

Belarus buys S-400, Iskander missiles from Russia: Lukashenko

May 20, 2022
Turkey seeks alternatives to Russian energy after warplane crisis

Erdogan urges NATO allies to ‘respect’ concerns over Finland, Sweden

May 19, 2022
North Korea

North Korea ‘ready for nuclear test’ with Biden due in Seoul

May 19, 2022

Defense Forum Discussions

  • Ukrainian - Russian War Memes.
  • Israeli Army News & Discussion
  • Russian Navy Discussions and Updates
  • The Russian-Ukrainian War Thread
  • PRC Peoples Liberation Army Navy
  • Australia is getting NASAMS in June this year in 2022.
  • China - Geostrategic & Geopolitical.
  • NZDF General discussion thread
  • Republic of Korea AF (ROKAF)
  • Helo Jumping with Dutch Marines
DefenceTalk

© 2003-2020 DefenceTalk.com

Navigate Site

  • Defence Forum
  • Military Photos
  • RSS Feeds
  • About us
  • Advertise with us
  • Contact us

Follow Us

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Defense News
    • Defense & Geopolitics News
    • War Conflicts News
    • Army News
    • Air Force News
    • Navy News
    • Missiles Systems News
    • Nuclear Weapons
    • Defense Technology
    • Cybersecurity News
  • Military Photos
  • Defense Forum
  • Military Videos
  • Military Weapon Systems
    • Weapon Systems
    • Reports

© 2003-2020 DefenceTalk.com