Northrop Grumman Awarded $171M Contract for B-2 Bomber Satellite Communications System
June 28, 2007 // Published as a news service by IHS
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Northrop Grumman Corp. began work on a 62-month, $171 million system development and demonstration (SDD) contract for the first increment of an extremely high frequency (EHF) satellite communications system for the U.S. Air Force's B-2 stealth bomber.
Under a planned three-increment upgrade program, the new EHF system will eventually allow the B-2 to send and receive battlefield information up to 100 times faster than its current ultra-high frequency (UHF) satellite communications system, said Northrop Grumman.
The authority to proceed with the SDD phase follows the Air Force's Milestone B decision in February authorizing Northrop Grumman to proceed with this first increment of the EHF upgrade program, said Northrop Grumman.
During Increment I, the Northrop Grumman-led team will replace the B-2's current flight management computers with a single, integrated processing unit developed by Lockheed Martin Systems Integration.
The contract will also involve development of the fiber optic network that will support high speed data transfers to, from and within the aircraft; and delivery of a disk drive unit from Honeywell Defense and Space that will facilitate future transfer of EHF data onto and off of the B-2.
Increment II of the B-2 EHF program will give the aircraft the ability to send and receive information at EHF frequencies, while Increment III will fully integrate the new EHF communications capabilities into the aircraft's controls and displays.
According to Mark Rhoades, Northrop Grumman's EHF Satcom program manager, the EHF Satcom system will also allow the B-2 to connect to the U.S. Department of Defense's Global Information Grid.
In particular, Rhoades said, the EHF will make the B-2 compatible with both current and future secure military satellite communications networks.
"The B-2 will help ensure continuity of secure, worldwide military communications for allied commanders as the current network of Milstar satellites transitions to the new advanced EHF satellite network," said Rhoades.
The B-2's new EHF Satcom system is the latest in a series of modernization programs that Northrop Grumman and its subcontractors are undertaking with the Air Force to ensure that the aircraft remains capable against evolving threats.
Other recent or current B-2 modernization programs include:
- A "smart" bomb rack assembly that is designed to allow the aircraft to deliver 80 independently targeted, 500-pound smart weapons, five times more than previously.
- Application of a specially formulated surface coating that reduced B-2 maintenance time and improved operational readiness.
- Installation of a line-of-sight tactical communications system that improves B-2 pilots' ability to share critical targeting and threat information and maintain real-time awareness of the battle space.
- Installation of an advanced electronically scanned array antenna designed to enable more advanced imaging capabilities in the future.
Source: Northrop Grumman Corp.