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topicnews · October 23, 2024

The B-2 Spirit stealth bomber completes scheduled depot maintenance 91 days ahead of schedule

The B-2 Spirit stealth bomber completes scheduled depot maintenance 91 days ahead of schedule

The potentially groundbreaking achievement is the result of new processes and practices implemented by the AFLCMC Bomber Directorate to improve the B-2 PDM’s efficiency and “get the job done quickly” to get the bomber back into service sooner can.

A record achievement: A U.S. Air Force B-2 Spirit stealth bomber completed its lengthy PDM (Programmed Depot Maintenance) at Plant 42 in Palmdale, California, in just over a year, three months less than usual. In fact, the Air Force Life-Cycle Management Center (AFLCMC) announced that the bomber, identified as “Spirit of Nebraska” (89-0128), was ready to fly back to Whiteman AFB, Missouri, and return to operations in October. October 15, 2024, just 379 days after the start of the PDM instead of the normal 470 days, a total of 91 days earlier than planned.

The potentially groundbreaking success is the result of new processes and practices implemented by the AFLCMC Bomber Directorate to improve efficiency, the statement said. This comes at a time when the U.S. Air Force is practicing the logistical and maintenance aspects of combat for rapid, rapid and sudden troop deployment and deployment amid strategic confrontations with peer rivals.

The B-2 Spirit, the Air Force’s mainstay of airborne conventional and non-conventional long-range strategic attack aircraft, is being upgraded to remain “competitive” until at least the early 2030s. Then it is planned to replace them with the B-2 Spirit new B-21 Raider. Northrop Grumman’s Plant 42 is the birthplace of all 21 of the Air Force’s B-2 Spirits (19 of which are still in service), where they undergo scheduled PDMs every nine years. The PDMs will see the B-2s undergo a comprehensive inspection of all electrical and mechanical systems, as well as having their radar protective materials completely removed and reapplied to restore low observable (LO) characteristics.

New PDM process

“Integrating these jets into PDM, getting the job done quickly and getting them back to the fighter early is a big deal,” said Col. Francis Marino, B-2 systems program manager in the Bombers Directorate. He credited this achievement to the great partnership between the maintenance staff at Plant 42, Bomber Directorate personnel, AFGSC (Air Force Global Strike Command) and Northrop Grumman.

According to B-2 PDM program manager Staci Gravette, PDMs generally focus on restoring the bombers’ LO capabilities. This work also allows other maintenance work to be carried out as the entire aircraft is dismantled, allowing the process to be sped up.

The press release then provided some insights into how it was possible to reduce the overall duration of the PDM by 91 days. One of the two new approaches was to perform fuel system inspection earlier in the PDM cycle. Previously, when a fuel leak was discovered during an inspection, “the team would have to remove parts and materials from the aircraft, repair the leak, and repeat previous work, often resulting in a 45-day delay.” By completing the inspection and repair of the fuel system As the first in the PDM sequence, duplication and delay could be avoided, the Air Force said.

In addition, this time the aircraft underwent a “pre-departure inspection” before arriving at the PDM, which made it possible to detect problems earlier and plan the ordering of parts and specific repairs in advance, the press release continued. The “pre-inspection” is particularly useful because it “reduces the number of PDM surprises” as airframes get older and require more repairs, Marino added.

“Maintaining B-2 dominance is a priority for the Bomber Directorate. “The improvement of the PDM process and other sustainability and modernization efforts that the directorate is leading ensure that the aircraft continues to perform,” the statement continued.

The Spirit of Pennsylvania B-2 Spirit, assigned to the 419th Flight Test Squadron, flies over Edwards Air Force Base, California, before landing July 17, 35 years after the B-2’s first flight. (U.S. Air Force photo by Christian Turner)

“B-2 readiness is critical.”

Shawn Clay, B-2 product support manager, pointed out how critical this achievement is because the jet’s stealth technology dates back to the 1980s but “is still world-leading.” He further explained that this also speaks volumes about “the real mission – to keep our enemies at bay and give them a moment of pause…like the thought of a B-2 flying in, and before you even realize it’s there “The fight is over.”

Clay pointed to shorter downtime and greater availability of resources that confounded the adversary’s own calculus, which would take into account the U.S. military’s ability to mobilize and deploy a range of platforms quickly and at short notice. In other words, faster turnaround and repair times also act as a deterrent to ambitious enemy military plans aimed at sudden and surprise military maneuvers while closely monitoring how many strategic weapons are in the hangar.

Marino described the B-2 as the “world’s only long-range, penetrating attack bomber” until the B-21 is deployed. “As long as the aircraft remains operational and our adversaries continue to deploy new and advanced weapons across the electromagnetic spectrum, we must continue to invest in the lethality, survivability and mission readiness of the B-2. The work we are doing on the PDM line will play a key role in this,” he added.

Plant 42 is currently home to another B-2, the Spirit of Pennsylvania, which is undergoing a new round of upgrades and testing called Spirit Realm 1. This program consists of integrating an open mission systems architecture, new software and sensors and weapons to improve the B-2’s survivability and combat capability. Interestingly, the Spirit of Pennsylvania returned to Plant 42 on July 17, 2024, the same day the first B-2 Spirit first took off from the facility 35 years ago in 1989.

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