Lockheed Martin has gotten the green light—and a $23 million contract from Northrop Grumman—to proceed with the upgrade of the B-2 bomber’s satellite communications system. Earlier this year, the Air Force approved the plan presented by B-2 prime contractor Northrop. A company release says the modernized SATCOM will enable the B-2s to send and receive data faster and offers “beyond-line-of-sight, assured connectivity capability,” ensuring the bombers are compatible with current and future extremely high frequency SATCOM architectures.
As Air Force leaders consider concepts of operations for Collaborative Combat Aircraft, sustainment in the field—and easing that support by using standard parts and limiting variants—should be a key consideration, according to a new study from AFA's Mitchell Institute of Aerospace Studies.