A reliability upgrade package for the B-1B Lancer’s strike radar successfully finished operational flight and ground trials at Dyess AFB, Tex. Replacing the radar’s transmitter, receiver, processing computer, and software, the Reliability and Maintainability Improvement Program promises increased availability. “The existing B-1 radar system is more than 20 years old and has not had a hardware upgrade since it was initially fielded in 1985,” said SSgt. Trevor Helm, B-1 crew chief with Dyess’ 337the Test and Evaluation Squadron. “Prior to RMIP, we were losing a lot of time by having to continuously replace parts on the radar system,” explained Helm. “RMIP increases the mean time between failures of the current radar system by nine times that amount, significantly increasing B-1 aircraft availability,” added Lt. Col. George Holland, 337th TES commander. B-1Bs at Dyess and Ellsworth AFB, S.D., will begin receiving the upgrades in March. (Dyess report by A1C Charles Rivezzo)
B-21 Temporary Shelters Could Also Shelter B-2s
March 5, 2021
The Air Force's experimental runway shelter for the new B-21 bomber is large enough to cover it or the B-2, and therefore reveals no information about the dimensions of the new aircraft. Two such shelters will be evaluated, but the maker of the second version hasn't been chosen, yet.