[Avionics Today 07-20-2015] Northrop Grumman demonstrated in recent test flights that the U.S. Air Force’s Open Mission Systems (OMS) architecture standards can be successfully integrated across multiple systems and platforms. Due to the success of these flights, new capabilities can now be integrated rapidly and affordably across advanced manned and unmanned aircraft.
In June, at Edwards Air Force Base, multiple test flights demonstrated the ability to rapidly integrate subsystems onto the B-2 Spirit stealth bomber and NASA’s Global Hawk Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) using OMS-compliant computing architecture. The most recent demonstration included the B-2 Spirit, the company’s fully OMS-compliant Gulfstream G550 test bed aircraft configured as an Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) asset, and an OMS-compliant Battle Management Command and Control (BMC2) ground node.
"This demonstration paves the way for the B-2 weapon system to provide new operational capability well into the future at an affordable cost," said Brig. Gen. Eric Fick, program executive officer for fighters and bombers at the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Air Force Materiel Command.