U.S. Air Force gives B-52 a new satellite comms system

The U.S. Air Force has fielded a new satellite communications system on B-52 Stratofortress bombers, giving crews a way to send voice, data, images and video to commanders far beyond the range of line-of-sight radios.

Air Force Global Strike Command said the system, called IRIS, is now in operational use on the bomber, though it remains a prototype. As of April 1, multiple IRIS kits had been installed on aircraft and delivered to the 49th Test and Evaluation Squadron at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana, for training and operational employment. The command did not say how many B-52s carry the system.

IRIS was developed by Outerlink Global Solutions, a small company in Shreveport, Louisiana, near Barksdale. It combines a satellite communications terminal with equipment on the aircraft and on the ground. The system works with Iridium’s Certus service, which runs on the Iridium NEXT constellation of low-Earth-orbit satellites and offers global coverage. Outerlink has said the Certus terminal provides data speeds of up to 704 kilobits per second. IRIS is set to replace the Global Iridium Bomber Set, which the B-52 has used since 2017.

“Fielding IRIS gives our crews a modern tool to stay connected, share information, and execute the mission in dynamic and contested environments,” said Maj. Gen. Ty Neuman, commander of 8th Air Force and the Joint-Global Strike Operations Center.

In June 2022, the 49th Test and Evaluation Squadron flew the first demonstration of IRIS on a B-52 at Barksdale. A team from the 608th Air Operations Center tracked the flight and checked voice and data transfers from the aircraft, including images and video.

Global Strike Command then used an AFWERX Small Business Innovation Research Phase II contract to integrate Outerlink’s commercial system onto the bomber. In August 2023, the effort moved to a four-year, $26 million Strategic Funding Increase contract, the first such award designated to the command. The program helps small businesses move technology from prototype toward real use.

Testing picked up this year. In March, ground and flight tests showed IRIS could hold a reliable connection while the B-52 was airborne. The 49th Test and Evaluation Squadron and the 608th Air Operations Center confirmed end-to-end performance through approved military network routes, and the B-52 program office signed off on airworthiness before further flight testing later that month.

“We had a clear operational need, the right partner capabilities, and engaged stakeholders working together to deliver capability operators needed and are using today,” said Maj. Gen. Peter Bonetti, director of Global Strike Command’s strategic plans, programs and requirements.

The Air Force Reserve’s 307th Bomb Wing at Barksdale also contributed to the effort, along with the B-52 program office.

The B-52 has flown for more than 70 years and remains central to U.S. long-range strike and nuclear deterrence. The U.S. Air Force plans to keep the bomber flying into the 2050s, with upgrades including new engines and a new radar under the B-52J modernization.

Global Strike Command said IRIS will go through more testing and evaluation as it matures, and that it is still deciding on a long-term beyond-line-of-sight communications solution for the bomber fleet.