ST. LOUIS, Sept. 29 (UPI) -- Boeing has completed the avionics upgrades for the U.S. B-1 bomber fleet.
The aerospace giant said this week that the last of the Block E modification kits for the 67 aircraft had been installed, wrapping up a 5-year, $680 million project involving computer hardware, software and weapons-delivery systems.
"With at least 40 more years of airframe life, the CMUP (Conventional Mission Upgrade Program) B-1 forms a solid foundation for the network-centric upgrades currently being developed for it," said Greg Burton, director of Boeing's B-1 and B-2 programs. "Connecting the airplane into the Global Information Grid will provide combat commanders with a potent long-range strike capability for decades to come."
The CMUP program began back in 1993 to convert the B-1 from a nuclear role to that of a conventional long-range heavy bomber. Planes that have already undergone the CMUP upgrade have been delivering large bomb loads on enemy positions in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The Block E project involved replacement of six onboard computers with four units that had 25 times the memory and throughput capacity for operation of the weapons and defensive systems. There are also a wind-corrected weapons dispenser and equipment for the launch of stand-off bombs and missiles.
