The U.S. Air Force has awarded three companies a combined $17 million to plan an upgraded secure satellite communications capability for the B-52 Stratofortress, advancing a competition that will shape how the bomber gains more resilient command links. Magee Technologies, Sierra Nevada Corporation and Northrop Grumman received separate awards in July for concept and integration planning, rather than fleetwide installation.
The work sits under the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center’s Bombers Directorate and centres on integrating an upgraded Extremely High Frequency SATCOM link into the long-range bomber. The service is comparing alternative technical approaches before deciding how to field the capability, keeping multiple industry teams in play at an early stage of the programme.
Lt. Col. Michael Case described the awards as an important step in modernising the B-52 communications infrastructure. The effort forms part of broader efforts to keep the aircraft viable for strategic missions over the long term, with secure communications viewed as essential to the bomber’s deterrence role. The report did not identify a final integration winner, aircraft count or retrofit timetable.