B-52 Sees Biggest Improvement In 15 Years

After three years of planning, Air Force flight test experts at Edwards AFB introduced a new offensive avionics system for the B-52 Stratofortress. Flight testing of the B-52 Avionics Midlife Improvement, known as AMI, began in mid-December and is scheduled to continue through March 2004, with 80 sorties averaging eight hours long and several global missions planned to last more than 24 hours.

The AMI program is specifically designed to upgrade the B-52H offensive avionics system and includes replacing the inertial navigation system, the avionics control unit, the data transfer system and all associated hardware and software.

"It is the biggest improvement to the B-52 in 12 (to) 15 years," said Maj. Ed Bellem, B-52 flight commander and AMI project pilot. "AMI is a critical modification; an essential upgrade needed to keep the B-52 airborne.

"Processors equivalent to the Commodore 64 are being removed and replaced with (Pentium II-level) processing capabilities," Bellem said. "This improvement will ensure the airplane knows where it is at all times and can accurately deliver bombs on target."

As the main hub for all AMI flight testing, approximately 200 people at Edwards are dedicated to the program; however, the B-52's avionics upgrade stretches far beyond the boundaries of the base. Boeing's Wichita, Kan., division is responsible for the overall development of AMI. Key players include people from the Boeing High Desert Assembly Integration and Test Centers; the 419th Flight Test Squadron and the Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center at Edwards; the 49th Test and Evaluation Squadron at Barksdale Air Force Base, La.; and the B-52 system program office at Tinker AFB, Okla.

"Everybody is hustling to keep this program on track," said David Siu, B-52 flight test manager and AMI project manager.

The $8.5 million effort is on time and on cost, but the schedule is the greatest risk. "The fleet starts living off spare parts in 2004," said Bellem. "The current INS is becoming unsupportable."

With the B-52 approaching its 50th anniversary, parts to repair, maintain and replace are just not available, he said. Some of the manufacturers are going out of business, while others are trying to stay on the front end of technology, spending their money to support new platforms as opposed to old ones, according to Siu. AMI is not only needed to prevent capability loss caused by a lack of vendors and non-supportable equipment, but the improvement will also ensure compatibility with new and future weapon systems, he said.

"Without this avionics upgrade, there is no way weapons coming online today or in the future will be able to operate with the B-52 as their platform," said Maj. Merrice Spencer, a B-52 navigator and chief of avionics and weapons integration.

To date, AMI is conquering these main system shortcomings and performing as designed, said Bellem. "So far, the upgrade has been almost transparent to us," he said, "but there has been a significant improvement in reliability, which corresponds to mission-capable rate."

The average time between aircraft need extensive repairs has increased from an average of 700 hours to an average of 7,500 hours. AMI's extensive flight-test schedule is based on the capability of the B-52 itself. The aircraft can carry a 20 to 30 varying weapon types -- more than any other platform in the inventory. Flight testing must maximize weapon scenarios to demonstrate AMI's ability to enhance mission performance.

"The B-52 has proven its flexibility over 50 years, from dropping bombs at 50,000 feet to providing close-air support," said Spencer. "The flexibility of this bomber will continue well into the future." [ANN Thanks Capt. Catie Hague, Air Force Flight Test Center Public Affairs]

FMI: www.af.mil/news/factsheets/B_52_Stratofortress.html