Northrop Grumman is transforming the B-2 bomber as part of the long range strike plan still under development by the Air Force. (See our report here.) Besides the new radar, the B-2 gets a smart bomb rack assembly—giving it the ability to carry and deliver 80 GPS-guided JDAMs on a single pass—and it will have the Link-16 communications system, a high-rate digital data system that allows cross-platform real-time exchange of critical targeting data. There’s more: Northrop says it is talking with USAF about modifying the B-2 for a medium-range role. “It’s probably the quickest way to get to a medium range platform,” said Northrop’s Gene Fraser.
Trainees in Basic Military Training and technical school no longer have the option to try alternate PT drills if they fail an initial assessment, according to a policy change the Air Force made in April. The move is part of a larger shift out of the classroom and into hands-on,…