Northrop Grumman completed field installations of the upgraded radar system for the Air Force’s fleet of B-2 stealth bombers, announced the company on Sept. 24. “Every operational B-2 is now equipped with the new radar” as part of the B-2 Radar Modernization Program, states the company’s release. The Air Force operates a fleet of 20 B-2s, including one normally used for testing at Edwards AFB, Calif. The others are stationed with the 509th Bomb Wing at Whiteman AFB, Mo. Raytheon supplied prime contractor Northrop Grumman with the new radar hardware, which included active electronically scanned array antennas, a power supply, and a modified receiver/exciter. These components upgraded the aircraft’s 1980s-vintage AN/APQ-181 multimode radar. The update improves the radar’s maintainability and lays the foundation for future potential capability enhancements. Ron Naylor, Northrop Grumman’s director of B-2 modernization and transformation, said the company finished installations at Whiteman “ahead of schedule,” returning the jets “anywhere from one to 11 days early.” (See also Whiteman Gets First Upgraded B-2.)
New Air Force PT Uniforms to Hit Shelves in July
May 1, 2024
The Air Force’s new physical training uniforms have been a long time coming. The clothing set was first unveiled in 2021, with a promised 2022 debut. But supply chain issues delayed its arrival multiple times, according to the Air Force. But finally, Airmen are expected to be able to buy…