Northrop Grumman announced Monday that it has received a $372 million contract to design the advanced electronically scanned array antenna that will vastly improve the B-2 bomber’s ability to send and receive battlefield information securely over satellite links. This antenna is part of Increment 2 of the stealth bomber’s three-increment extremely high frequency satellite communications upgrade. This increment is the largest effort ever undertaken to augment the B-2’s lethality, according to the company. “This important enhancement will ensure that the B-2 retains its strategic communications capabilities well into the future,” said Dave Mazur, Northrop’s B-2 program manager. When the upgrade is complete, B-2s will be able to communicate up to 100 times faster than today, says Northrop.
Roper: Air Force Shopping for ‘Skyshots’
Oct. 26, 2020
The Air Force is calling on small businesses to pitch new technologies the service can help nurture into “war-winning” capabilities, service acquisition chief Will Roper said Oct. 26. These “Skyshots”—something short of “Moon Shots”—would be comparable to USAF's flying car initiative: requiring sustained investment that companies might not be able…