L3Harris to Integrate Navigator, EW Officers Roles in B-52 Modernization Contract

The U.S. Air Force has selected a vendor to support its B-52 Stratofortress bomber modernization initiative. 

On Thursday, L3Harris Technologies announced that it had secured a $34 million contract under the service branch’s Global Strike Command B-52 Quad Crew Program.

Under the deal, the contractor will focus on consolidating the functions of the electronic warfare officer and the navigator. Among the significant changes that come with the role integration is moving the bomber’s control and display unit panels to the navigator station, L3Harris said.

Ed Zoiss, president for space and airborne systems at L3Harris, said the new contract is a vital effort in building the United States’ strategic bomber operators and their global strike mission. He added that the company is committed to the B-52 modernization and ensuring it remains operational until 2050.

The L3Harris B-52 modernization award comes after the Air Force used the strategic bomber to demonstrate the capabilities of the AGM-183A Air-launched Rapid Response Weapon, which provides the military branch with hypersonic capability with speeds greater than Mach 5.