Boeing has announced that the Air Force and it have completed the first phase of flight testing for the fully integrated data link system that is being added to the B-1B bomber to increase aircrew situational awareness and targeting capability. Phase one actually concluded on Oct. 16 at Edwards AFB, Calif., with the completion of nine test sorties by the B-1 fitted with the new avionics components, which include a state-of-the-art moving map, said the company in a mid-December release. This phase included observations of how the crew acclimated to the new equipment as well as functionality assessments and temperature and vibration tests. The modified B-1 will now undergo programmed depot maintenance at Tinker AFB, Okla., and then return to Edwards for phase two testing in April. Boeing expects to receive a production contract for the FIDL kits for the B-1 fleet in November 2010.
The Air Force has begun flying its CV-22 Ospreys again. But that is just the start of a multi-step process to return the fleet to normal operations following a deadly crash last year, the service says.