Innovations and improvements in sensors and connectivity will help leverage Air Force Global Strike Command’s bomber force for decades to come, said AFGSC boss Lt. Gen. Stephen Wilson on Thursday during a Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies event in Arlington, Va. Wilson said the command must leverage its existing capabilities in new ways, by making investments, that have outsized combat effects. For example, by studying Air Force Special Operations Command acquisition practices, AFGSC was able to conceive, build, and field a new AESA radar-equipped pod for the B-52 in under five months, Wilson noted. For the B-2, Wilson said a key priority is the Defensive Management System modernization effort, which will swap out older electronics components, such as passive antennas and older line replaceable unit components that are running into spare part availability issues. By completing the DMS, the B-2 fleet will be better connected and have better situational awareness for crews and commanders.
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.