B-2 Squadrons

Mission — BASELINE SUPPORT source

Baseline Support maintains and upgrades the B-2 unique flight test aircraft as well as hardware/software and instrumentation and test equipment to support developmental systems integration, and flight test, reducing the need for additional operational aircraft and accelerating deployment of advanced operational capabilities to the warfighter. Baseline Support also provides for other B-2 unique government costs and includes assorted studies of aircraft performance as well as acquisition planning activities, up to and including proposal preparation, for future aircraft, engine, weapon, communication, navigation or other capabilities. B-2 funding may be used to resolve emerging safety of flight and diminishing manufacturing sources issues, and fulfill FAA or other mandates necessary to ensure continued aircrew safety and mission effectiveness. Funding may also support innovation activities including, but not limited to, studies, analyses, requirements definition, and quick-reaction capability prototypes/demonstrations to accelerate planning for technology transition, technology insertion, and future acquisition programs.

Mission — B-2 Squadrons source

The B-2 Program Office's mission is to modernize and sustain the nation's only long-range penetrable strike bomber serving both the nuclear and conventional missions. The B-2 must remain ready, effective, and survivable every time the nation calls and cannot relax on modernization or sustainment efforts until its replacement is fully operational - a moving goal that continues to slip into the future. The Air Force must continue to modernize the B-2 to ensure its mission effectiveness exceeds the pacing threat, which continues to advance in technology and capabilities. The B-2 Program Office's portfolio includes projects that sustain weapon system effectiveness while seeking opportunities to lower life-cycle costs; incrementally improve subsystem capabilities across a range of sustainment and modernization efforts; combine existing technologies with innovative processes to solve supportability challenges; and integrate novel technologies to ensure our warfighters' can outpace the threat, while at the same time reducing integration risk for future platforms. The B-2 is continuing modernization efforts to improve its avionics, communications systems, cockpit displays, armament systems, low observable components, core training system components, aircraft supportability improvements, and support equipment development. The Air Force will also study, prototype, and demonstrate, multiple structural, avionics, and engine modifications, as well as advanced weapons capabilities, carriage systems integration, and communications, that could improve the performance of the aircraft and engines and reduce maintenance man-hours and the logistics footprint of the fleet. Focus of the studies, prototypes, and demonstrations will be on non-mission capable (maintenance) drivers, safety issues, and obsolescence issues through modernization of key components in the airframe, avionics, and engines resulting in improved aircraft availability of a high demand/low density fleet. This program element may include necessary civilian pay expenses required to manage, execute, and deliver weapon system capability. The use of such program's funds would be in addition to the civilian pay expenses budgeted in program element 0605827F, 0605828F, 0605829F, 0605831F, 0605832F, 0605833F, 0605898F, 0606398F. In FY 2024 $0.0M was expended for civilian pay expenses in this program element, and in FY 2025 $0.0M is forecasted for civilian pay expenses in this program element. This program is in Budget Activity 7, Operational System Development because this budget activity includes development efforts to upgrade systems that have been fielded or have received approval for full rate production and anticipate production funding in the current or subsequent fiscal year.

Mission — B-2 Modernization source

The B-2 is currently undergoing modernization of avionics, communications systems, cockpit displays, armament systems, low observable components, core training system components, aircraft supportability improvements, and support equipment development. The Air Force will continue to study multiple structural, avionics, and engine modifications, as well as advanced weapons integration, communications upgrades, and innovative low observable enhancements, that could improve the performance of the aircraft and engines and reduce maintenance man-hours and the logistics footprint of the fleet. The Adaptable Communications Suite (ACS) Increment 4.0 provides secure beyond line-of-sight SATCOM Command and Control connectivity. ACS 4.0 will replace the current radios and ancillaries to transition the B-2 SATCOM's capability from the Ultra High Frequency Follow-On (UFO) satellite constellation to the Mobile User Objective System satellite constellation bringing enhanced capability over UFO's waveform. Along with the aircraft system, the ACS ground systems and infrastructure will be redesigned to support this new waveform. ACS 4.0 significantly improves the transfer time for real-time mission planning data, and allows for simultaneous use of SATCOM voice and data. Funds will support the development and integration of a highly secure communications pathway that will enable the B-2 warfighter's to communicate and receive updated targeting data while operating in highly contested environments. This capability can be used globally, but it is critical once the B-2 enters a highly contested airspace. B-2 Battlespace Collaborative Combat Communications (B2C3) effort integrates an independent Open Mission Systems (OMS) avionics architecture on the B-2, as well as upgrades the B-2's current line-of-site capability. B2C3's objective is to identify, leverage, and integrate existing capabilities to meet Air Force Global Strike's B-2 communications requirements. B2C3 will be implemented in two main increments defined as Spiral 1 and Spiral 2. Spiral 1 will provide the OMS architecture (multi-mission domain) within the B-2 and Spiral 2 will implement Airborne Integrated Terminal Group (AITG) providing Line-of-Sight Ultra High Frequency (UHF) and Very High Frequency (VHF) anti-jam, encrypted, and unencrypted voice communications. AITG will replace the AN/ARC-234 radio (reaches end-of-life effective 01 Oct 2026) with two AN/ARC-210 radios and will transition from the HAVEQUICK waveform (sunsetted 01 Oct 2024) to the SATURN anti-jam waveform for voice communications. The Low Observable Signature and Supportability Modifications (LOSSM) is a Continuous Improvement Program that supports the B-2's survivability against pacing and enhancing threats. LOSSM also serves other low observable (LO) platforms by advancing their ability to penetrate anti-access combat environments, perform missions directed by the National Command Authority while ensuring aircrew survivability. The LOSSM program reduces low observable (LO) maintenance, which is the B-2's highest maintenance driver, to improve combat readiness. Additionally, this program encompasses multiple improvement projects including, but not limited to, improved LO materials (electrically conductive materials, adhesives, electrically resistive materials, radar absorbing material, fastener fills, coatings, welds, material removal tools, and improved processes), LO structures (radar radomes, antennas, hot trailing edges and tiles, intermediate section doors, tailpipes, windows, lib bay panels, leading edge, permanent fasteners, exhaust pockets, gust load alleviation system, inlets, radar absorbing structures, overall signature stability, and Alternate High Frequency Material expansion) and additional efforts that enhance LO aircraft survivability; and radio frequency diagnostic tools, evaluation systems, and other key support equipment (Tier I Material Inspection System, Signature Diagnostic System, next generation Tier II and Tier III systems, Test Article 0998 (a B-2 test asset) optimization, conductivity probes, tailpipe inspection tools, LO- related special test equipment, data archival, and communications tools). LOSSM yields a high Return On Investment (ROI) and provides signature confidence for war time readiness posturing. The B-2 Training System upgrades include, but are not limited to, updates to training device hardware and components, simulation software, course ware and academic materials, instructional system design architectures, engineering drawings, and system documentation that are not driven by a funded aircraft modification. Upgrades may include Diminishing Manufacturing Sources efforts to include removal of end-of-life software/hardware within simulator systems and move to a modular, common open system architecture that is sustainable and cyber-resilient. Additional Training System Upgrades may also include efforts to implement requirements and standards defined under the Simulator Common Architecture Requirements and Standards (SCARS) initiative. Continuation of B-2 Armament upgrades integrate new and/or advanced weapons on the B-2 to attack a wider array of target sets, to include hardened, deeply buried targets, as well as destroy more targets per sortie. Studies and efforts will refine B-2 targeting accuracy using GPS guided weapons. Nuclear modernization will continue with software and crypto modifications. B-2 funding may be used to resolve emerging safety of flight and diminishing manufacturing sources issues, and fulfill FAA or other mandates necessary to ensure continued aircrew safety and mission effectiveness. Funding may also support innovation activities including, but not limited to, studies, analyses, requirements definition, and quick-reaction capability prototypes/demonstrations to accelerate planning for technology transition, technology insertion, and future acquisition programs.

Accomplishments & Planned Programs (6)