Alissa Tabirian
NS&D Monitor
9/4/2015
The Department of Defense (DoD) on Aug. 28 said it awarded Boeing Co. a $46,719,474 contract for seven Combat Network Communication Technology (CONECT) upgrade kits and support equipment for the Air Force’s long-range B-52 bomber. According to the announcement, "this contract also provides for 21 retrofit kits to convert previously purchased B-52 [CONECT] kits from a low-rate initial production configuration to the full-rate production configuration."
The communications technology upgrade will allow the aircraft to receive updated information during missions, and, according to Boeing, "the system provides increased situational awareness for B-52 crews by adding several communication data links and full-color LCD displays with real-time intelligence feeds overlaid on moving maps." Awarded via sole-source acquisition, the work is scheduled for completion by May 2017.
Boeing spokesman Ben Davis said by email that the CONECT upgrade “gives the bomber fleet the ability to contribute in a net-centric world, making it more flexible, efficient and cost-effective.” Asked about the process of upgrading the technology, Davis said the “integration of the new CONECT capability with legacy systems required conformance with the existing interfaces, so blending the technologies into a seamless system can be challenging.” He added that planning of the “intricate and deliberate” program “began a decade ago. However, collaboration with the USAF has ensured steady, positive progress.”
Davis said the Air Force “has completed installation of CONECT onto several aircraft, with a number of other aircraft in various stages of modification,” and flight crews on those aircraft “are discovering the valuable ways in which CONECT can enhance mission effectiveness.” He said “the Air Force has indicated a desire to upgrade the entire fleet of B-52 bombers,” estimated to be completed in 2019-2020.
