L3Harris Technologies received a $34 million contract from the U.S. Air Force to help modernize the B-52 Stratofortress bomber.
The award is part of the Air Force’s Global Strike Command B-52 Quad Crew Program to consolidate the functions of the electronic warfare officer and navigator into one position. The B-52H is currently operated by a five-person crew that includes two pilots, two navigators and an electronic warfare officer.
“Transforming the iconic B-52 bomber into a more capable platform that operates through 2050 is a priority for our company,” said Ed Zoiss, President, Space and Airborne Systems, L3Harris.
“This contract is an important step forward for the nation’s strategic bomber operators and their global strike mission,” he added.
The consolidation of the two crew positions will include moving the control and display unit panels to the navigator station. The joint effort with the customer-led Crew Station Working Group will include a series of analysis – such as aircraft weight and balance, structural and electrical load analysis and thermal cooling – to identify any impact on the B-52 airframe and inform the modification kit design.
L3Harris has been providing critical B-52 technology for decades as the Original Equipment Manufacturer of the AN/ALQ-172 systems for this aircraft fleet. The company continues to help the Air Force evolve its capabilities from analog to digital solutions to defeat the continuously changing threat landscape.
In another development, L3Harris Technologies announced, earlier this month, that it has completed its sale of the company’s antenna and related businesses to an affiliate of Kanders & Company, Inc. for $200 million.
The deal aligns with L3Harris’ portfolio-shaping strategy of divesting non-core assets, with transaction proceeds to be used consistent with capital allocation plans. The transaction includes $175 million in cash and a $25 million seller note.
The businesses L3Harris divested were part of the company’s Space & Airborne Systems segment and employed approximately 375 people.
L3Harris Technologies is the Trusted Disruptor in the defense industry. With customers’ mission-critical needs always in mind, L3Harris’s ~50,000 employees deliver end-to-end technology solutions connecting the space, air, land, sea and cyber domains in the interest of national security.
