B-2 drops enhanced bombs during test

  • Published
  • By 2nd Lt. Brooke Davis
  • Air Force Flight Test Center Public Affairs
EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. (AFPN) --  A B-2 Spirit released two newly-upgraded 5,000-pound live weapons Aug. 14 in a test by the B-2 Global Power Bomber Combined Test Force here.

The weapons were released over the Utah Testing and Training Range at Hill Air Force Base, Utah, marking the first successful drop of live GBU-28 B/B series weapons. A live drop is the last dedicated flight for the developmental test and evaluation phase of the program.

The GBU-28 B/B is an enhanced version of the GBU-28 A/B, designed specifically for the B-2, according to 1st Lt. James Cole, the 419th Flight Test Squadron engineer responsible for the test. The GBU-28 is a Global Positioning System-guided and laser-guided weapon, deployable in all weather conditions.

Testing began in March with the release of an inert GBU-28 B/B at China Lake Naval Air Warfare Center, Calif. Data from the March release was analyzed by the Air Force SEEK EAGLE Office at Eglin AFB, Fla., Cole said. After approval, the program entered the next phase of testing.

The next testing phase was conducted at Hill AFB in April, with the release of an inert GBU-28 B/B with an integrated guidance system, Cole said.

Integrating the GBU-28 B/B weapons system into the B-2 did not require extreme modifications, Cole said.

"There were no physical modifications done on the B-2 rotary launcher assembly," Cole said. "There was only a small software change made to the mission-independent data file in order to integrate the weapon onto the B-2."

The live drop consisted of several testing points, which are goals set by the B-2 test team, to be achieved during the mission. A total of three passes across the target at the range were needed to obtain the testing points.

"The first dry pass was flown to simulate an actual release, allowing the pilots to become familiar with the routes, targets and timing needed to accomplish the mission," Cole said. "The dry pass ensured the chase plane -- which was an F-16 (Fighting Falcon) from Edwards Test Operations -- was in the right position for the photographer to document the releases."

The second pass released the first of two live GBU-28 B/Bs, using auto global positioning system-aided targeting, which updates and refines target information to send to the weapon, Cole said.

The final pass released the second live GBU-28 B/B, completing the testing phase.

The B-2 is the only aircraft in the inventory capable of in-flight radar targeting updating, according to Maj. Todd Copeland, 419th FLTS project pilot.

"This version of laser-guided weapons offers a graduated level of precision, enabling weapons to strike on target in any weather," Copeland said. "The real combat multiplier is that, from a weaponeer's point of view, this enhanced weapon can be employed by both fighter and bomber aircraft to strike hardened targets with a common frame of reference. The flexibility of the GBU-28 B/B will benefit both bomber and fighter pilots."

After tests are completed at Edwards, the Operational Test and Evaluation team at Whiteman AFB, Mo., will begin operational testing using the GBU-28 B/B. The overall program is scheduled for completion by the end of 2004.