The B-52 Stratofortress will soon receive a software upgrade to be able to keep the aircraft on the forefront of the U.S. strategic bomber fleet.
As new equipment and advanced weapons are added to the B-52 fleet, the B-52 Software Block (BSB) upgrades allow the aircraft to make use of the total potential of these new and improved systems.
“Think in the case of your house,” Air Force Global Strike Command B-52 program analyst Nathan Dawn said. “This is analogous to when your cable provider will give you a brand new cable modem, so that you upgrade the software in your wireless receiver to take better benefit of the modem’s updated capabilities.”
Many systems that make the B-52 an impressive force at the battlefield could be improved and enhanced by BSB upgrades, and new systems would be added as they become available, he said.
“The Offensive Avionics System, GPS, GPS Interface Unit and Advanced Targeting Pod computer are examples of hardware which are affected during BSB updates,” Dawn said. “Typically new lines of code are created to access new weapon or equipment capabilities corresponding to the recent ability to attack fast paced ground targets with smart weapons.”
One of the principle purposes of BSB cycles is to correct software errors and patch deficiencies not found during development and testing, Dawn said. Just like home computer operating systems, new and more complex software is liable to errors. When one is located in any of the B-52′s systems, it’s documented and becomes a high priority for repair within the next cycle of BSB upgrades.
The newest BSB upgrade is scheduled to achieve full operational capability q4, Dawn said. With it, the B-52 can continue to stay viable by adapting to the rapid advancement of technology within the battlespace.
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