B-2
A U.S. Air Force B-2 bomber has demonstrated a new inflight ability to automatically receive and digitally load new missions into a cockpit system, the manufacturer Northrop Grumman said on Aug. 9.
The digital mission transfer to the aircraft from the B-2’s Advanced Communications ground station automates a function that previously required crews to manually input the data.
Northrop and Air Force staff completed 50 mission transfers over a two-day period to the Spirit of Kitty Hawk, one of the 20 flying-wing stealth bombers that achieved first flight 34 years ago.
“The integration of this digital software with our weapon system will further enhance the connectivity and survivability in highly contested environments as part of our ongoing modernization effort,” said Nikki Kodama, Northrop’s vice president and B-2 program manager.
The automated mission transfer is possible because of a series of recent backend upgrades, including a Multi Mission Domain open mission system processor.
The new avionics architecture and Advanced Communications system are part of the B-2 Collaborative Combat Communications (B2C2) Spiral 1 upgrade. Another feature will merge data from beyond-line-of-sight communications and the Link 16 tactical data link onto a consolidated Tactical Situation Display, Air Force budget documents show.
The B2C3 program is scheduled to complete a critical design review later this year.
The Air Force plans to start retiring the B-2 fleet after the Northrop B-21 Raider enters service in a few years.
