Boeing was awarded a $14.9 million contract by the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory to develop technologies to enable airborne electronic attack from long distances. The contract includes systems engineering studies focusing on potential pod installation on the B-52H. Boeing said the B-52H is the only platform in the Air Force inventory that accommodates all necessary attributes for jamming electronic attacks while delivering its full complement of weapons, including responsiveness, range, loiter time, size and power. This effort will advance the technology required for the planned Core Component Jammer (CCJ). "We look forward to maturing the planned CCJ technology, which will keep our warfighters safer as they complete missions in the air and on the ground," said Scot Oathout, director of B-52 Programs for Boeing. "This is the first step in getting this capability fielded, and the B-52H is the right platform to mature this technology." After successful completion of this initial three-year effort, a follow-on effort to demonstrate in-flight, stand-off jamming on the B-52 is scheduled for 2011-2012. For related news