Boeing and Rockwell Collins recently completed flight-testing components of USAF’s new weapons data link network. The tests proved the ability to transmit messages to and from a weapon using existing Link-16 networks and that the “data link can be sized to fit into a weapons application,” said Rockwell officials. The Boeing-led effort is under contract to the Air Armament Center at Eglin AFB, Fla. Boeing officials said the recent tests were “a critical component” in on-going research to develop network-enabled technology applicable to numerous weapons, including the Small Diameter Bomb Increment II, Joint Direct Attack Munition, and future weapons.
B-52 Engine, Radar Upgrades Hit New Milestones
Sept. 15, 2026
The Air Force’s program to re-engine the B-52H Stratofortress has moved from its technology maturation and risk reduction phase to engineering and manufacturing development, marking a new milestone in the sweeping overhaul of the Cold War-era bomber, a top official said Sept. 15.
