Northrop Grumman said Tuesday it successfully completed the system development and demonstration (SDD) phase of the B-2 Radar Modernization Program (RMP) for the U.S. Air Force. SDD includes the design, development, test and installation of the new radar system in a B-2 test aircraft plus several operational bombers. Installation of the new radar in this first group of B-2s was completed Nov. 30 at Whiteman Air Force Base, and final spares were delivered March 22.
"The completion of SDD adds momentum and confidence to our work equipping the B-2 fleet with the most modern radar technology," said Dave Mazur, vice president of long range strike and B-2 program manager
for Northrop Grumman’s Aerospace Systems sector. "The new radar allows the jet to perform the nation’s most critical missions while giving it the technological foundation for enhanced capabilities in the future."
The Northrop Grumman-led B-2 industry team is currently producing the radar units authorized under the low rate initial production phase (LRIP) of the RMP program, which began in December 2008; and the full rate production phase, which began in November. Installation of the LRIP radar units is expected to begin in mid 2010, with completion of all B-2 RMP radar installations expected to be complete in 2012. Raytheon Space Airborne Systems developed a significant portion of the new radar hardware under contract to Northrop Grumman. The units include an electronically scanned array antenna, a power supply and a modified receiver/exciter. Other key RMP subcontractors include Lockheed Martin and BAE Systems Information and Electronic Systems Integration.