Moderadores: Lepanto, poliorcetes, Edu, Orel
With the end of the Cold War, the USAF instituted the B-1B conventional mission upgrade programme.
This series of upgrades involves:
- Block C (completed 1997): capability to drop cluster bombs;
- Block D (completed June 2001): included deployment of JDAM, new defensive system, new navigation and communications systems including the fitting of GPS to enable the dropping of satellite-guided munitions such as JDAM, and an AN/ALE-50 towed decoy system;
- Block E (entered service in 2005 and completed in September 2006): capability to deploy JSOW (joint stand-off weapon), wind-compensated munitions dispenser (WCMD) and JASSM (joint air to surface stand-off missile). JASSM entered service on the B-1 in May 2005.
- Block F (reciente): the defensive system upgrade programme (DSUP) - was terminated by the USAF.
In February 2009 Boeing received a $45m contract from the US Air Force to upgrade avionics software on the B-1 heavy bomber. The contract is expected to ensure that B-1 crews are well equipped to meet its ever expanding role.
As part of the Block E computer upgrade programme, in May 2002 a B-1B successfully targeted three different weapon types (mk84 bomb, mk82 bomb and CBU-89 cluster munitions) against three separate targets. In July 2003, the B-1B made the first JSOW drop from a long-range bomber. In 2005 was the first JASSM drop.
Cual seria el futuro de este bombardero
Laser Demo Eyed for B-1B: The Air Force, together with DARPA, is working to demonstrate a high-energy laser weapon system for aircraft self-protection, Steven Walker, USAF's deputy assistant secretary for science, technology, and engineering told House lawmakers Tuesday. Under the electric laser on a large aircraft, or ELLA, initiative, the service aims to integrate a laser system module into forward bomb bay of the B-1B bomber "to demonstrate the aircraft self-defense capabilities of a high-energy electric laser in a practical platform," he told members of the House Armed Services terrorism and unconventional threats and capabilities panel. ELLA will be based on DARPA's high energy liquid laser area defense system, or HELLADS, laser device. Upon completion of HELLADS development, the Air Force will couple the device to a beam control system for a series of ground demonstrations followed by integration on the aircraft, said Walker.
¿Se refiere a algo para hacer zap! a misiles SA y AA?
Los asistentes a FIDAE también podrán conocer el sistema MANTA
Los Su-25 rusos equiparán un nuevo sistema de defensa por infrarrojos
Boeing's B-1 Bomber has been honoured at Dyess US Air Force Base following the successful completion of 25 years of operations.
The B-1 has supported US and allied campaigns around the world since it entered into service in June 1985.
by Jennifer Hogan
Boeing Global Services & Support
4/27/2010 - EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- After five years of development and ground testing, the B-1 Lancer bomber radar replacement program successfully completed its first test flight April 20, launching from Edwards and landing as planned at Dyess Air Force Base, Texas. The Radar Reliability and Maintainability Improvement Program upgrade is required to avoid fleet grounding because of radar component obsolescence.
"The current B-1 APQ-164 radar has multiple parts that are becoming obsolete and unsupportable," said Bill Wu, RMIP program manager. "We are replacing them with the modern components so our customer can repair and operate the radar system, which is critical to B-1 operations."
In addition to the hardware effort, the program upgraded most of the radar software from a 1970s era Jovial to the modern supportable C++ computer language.
by Master Sgt. Kevin J. Gruenwald
99th Air Bomb Wing Public Affairs Office
5/4/2010 - OVER NEW MEXICO (AFNS) -- B-1B Lancers participate in a training mission over New Mexico Feb. 24. The aircraft are assigned to the 28th Bomb Squadron at Dyess Air Force Base, Texas.
by Senior Airman Felicia Juenke
7th Bomb Wing Public Affairs
5/5/2010 - DYESS AIR FORCE BASE, Texas -- Members of Dyess' B-1 flying community climbed to new heights during three Time-To-Climb record breaking events held April 29, 30 and May 1.
A B-1 Bomber piloted by Lt. Col. Michael Starr and Maj. William P. Alcorn Jr. unofficially broke the Time-To-Climb world record May 1 carrying a 5,000 kg payload to a height of 3,000 meters in 2 minutes 25 seconds. Weapon system officers on this flight were Maj. Scott Hall and Maj. Brian Owen.
Dyess also unofficially broke two other Time-To-Climb world records April 29 and 30 carrying payloads of 5,000 kg to heights of 9,000 and 6,000 meters in 4 minutes 47 seconds and 3 minutes 28 seconds respectively; records also previously held by C-17s.
The B1 Bomber that broke the record April 29 was piloted by Maj. Stephen Gerken and Maj. Paul Jones with Lt. Col. Justin Boldenow and Maj. Matt McKinney as weapons system officers.
"I was proud to be a part of the Time-To-Climb world records at a historic event like the B-1 25th Anniversary," said Maj. Matt McKinney, 7th Operations Support Squadron chief of wing weapons.
Lt. Col. Brian Wallace and Capt. Brian Buschur piloted the B1 Bomber that broke the record April 30 with Maj. Michael Gerney and Capt. Diego Uribe as weapons system officers.
B-1 to Demo Lethal Laser
by Graham Warwick
6 people liked this
More has emerged on the US Air Force Research Laboratory's Electric Laser on Large Aircraft (ELLA) program and, as anticipated, it's an effort to fit DARPA's Hellads laser into the weapons bay of a B-1B bomber to flight-test a high-power electric laser against tactical targets.
General Atomics and Textron Systems are developing rival 150kW lasers under Hellads, with the goal of demonstrating a laser weapon system weighing less than 5kg/kW - substantially smaller and lighter than any previous airborne laser. Lockheed Martin is designing the laser weapon system module (LWSM), including power, cooling and beam director.
Concept: DARPA
Answers to bidder questions on the ELLA RFI reveal AFRL's plans to install the Hellads in the B-1B by "removing the current weapons bay door and installing the LWSM with a conformal base shape that matches the door removed". The B-1B's Sniper pod will be used to target the laser. The current concept for powering and cooling the LWSM is to use batteries and a phase-change material that absorbs heat by melting.
Both Hellads designs use "unit cells" that will be combined to produce a single laser resonator producing 150kW. DARPA says a complete unit cell with integrated power and thermal-management systems will be demonstrated in FY2010, followed in FY2011 by a ground-based field demonstration of the laser weapon system against tactical targets. AFRL says full-power testing is to be completed by FY2012, but adds there are efforts to accelerate the program.
AFRL is not releasing its funding plan for ELLA, but says the laser weapon system demonstrator itself is a $40-45 million effort.
Boeing has begun flight testing for the US Air Force's B-1 Lancer bomber, following an upgrade using new digital avionics for the aft cockpit and a line-of-sight Link 16 data link.
The USAF carried out the first four-hour flight of the B-1 fully integrated data link (FIDL) on 4 June at Edwards Air Force Base in California.
The Link 16 data link was tested by sending and receiving text messages, and receiving virtual mission assignment data such as target coordinates for a weapon.
Link 16 will add line-of-sight capability to the B-1's existing beyond line-of-sight joint range extension applications protocol (JREAP) data link.
It will also integrate the JREAP data onto new, full-colour displays with intuitive symbols and moving maps.
Boeing B-1 programme manager Mark Angelo said Link 16 would allow the B-1 to be an active participant in a network that is commonly used by fighter, reconnaissance, and command and control aircraft.
As part of the programme, three flight tests will be carried out this month and additional flight tests are scheduled until January 2011.
The USAF intends to upgrade its entire fleet of 66 B-1s with FIDL.
B-1 Be Gone?: The Air Force Council meets Thursday to evaluate a number of potential cost-saving moves under consideration to meet savings targets mandated by Defense Secretary Robert Gates (see Donley Aims to Protect Force Structure above). Options reportedly on the table include early retirement of all B-1B bombers. The Lancers have been worked hard with great effect in Afghanistan in recent years, and have received many capability upgrades. There's also talk of possible further reductions in fighter wings on top of the 250-aircraft cut already being made in Fiscal 2010. Air Force Secretary Michael Donley, asked Wednesday about such considerations during a Capitol Hill speech, declined to comment on specifics. "We're still in the middle of our deliberations," he said. But he pointedly wouldn't rule out further force structure reductions.
Usuarios navegando por este Foro: No hay usuarios registrados visitando el Foro y 0 invitados