B-2 stealth bombers upgrade to include a more direct way to get Presidential orders

Published on: September 7, 2013 at 10:42 PM

Imagine a B-2 waiting orders from the White House whether to drop a nuclear bomb on a enermy site or call it off in Iran, North Korea, Syria. That order has to be delivered to the bomber in a timely and trustworthy way.

With the Common Very Low Frequency Receiver Increment 1, or CVR-1 program, the U.S. Air Force fleet of B-2 stealth bombers will be given another more reliable way to receive orders from the President of the U.S. via EAMs (Emergency Action Messages).

Currently, the flying wing bomber uses a UHF system that relies on satellite relay. However, the constellation of Military Strategic Tactical and Relay, MILSTAR, satellites is becoming a bit too obsolete and will not be upgraded. Until a replacement is found, with the upgraded communication system, the B-2 will bypass satellites: its radios will be capable to receive VLF (Very Low Frequency) signals bounced off of lower levels of the atmosphere.

CVR Increment 1 is to be fielded in 2017.

 

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David Cenciotti is a journalist based in Rome, Italy. He is the Founder and Editor of “The Aviationist”, one of the world’s most famous and read military aviation blogs. Since 1996, he has written for major worldwide magazines, including Air Forces Monthly, Combat Aircraft, and many others, covering aviation, defense, war, industry, intelligence, crime and cyberwar. He has reported from the U.S., Europe, Australia and Syria, and flown several combat planes with different air forces. He is a former 2nd Lt. of the Italian Air Force, a private pilot and a graduate in Computer Engineering. He has written five books and contributed to many more ones.
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