Boeing announced Thursday that the inaugural test flight of the first B-52H bomber with upgraded communications gear took place earlier this month at Edwards AFB, Calif. During the three-hour-plus flight on Jan. 17, the aircrew engaged the new combat network communications technology, or CONECT, package to determine that there were no adverse effects on flight-essential systems, said the company. The upgrade allows B-52 aircrews to receive and send real-time, digital information in flight, augmenting current voice-based communications. “Completion of the first test flight brings us one step closer to giving command centers and troops on the ground the ability to communicate with the B-52 through the military’s digital information network,” said Jim Kroening, Boeing B-52 development programs manager. Ground and flight testing will continue through February, after which the aircraft will go to depot for planned maintenance. The upgraded B-52 arrived last August at Edwards.
7 Air Force B-2s Drop 14 Bunker-Buster Bombs on Iran
June 22, 2025
The U.S. military struck three Iranian nuclear sites in the early hours of June 22 local time in Operation Midnight Hammer, intended to shut down Iran’s nuclear program and not harm the country’s leadership. U.S. Air Force B-2 bombers and submarine-launched cruise missiles struck three sites: Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan.