Northrop Grumman Completes B-2 Bomber Maintenance in Record Time
14 Décembre 2015 - 3:30PM
Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) has delivered on a
commitment to the U.S. Air Force to increase the availability of
the B-2 stealth bomber fleet by completing a periodic
"wingtip-to-wingtip" overhaul of the jet in a record 359 days.
A photo accompanying this release is available at:
http://media.globenewswire.com/noc/mediagallery.html?pkgid=38130
The company returned B-2 Spirit of Kitty Hawk to the bomber's
operational home at Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri, on Sept. 23.
The shorter cycle for programmed depot maintenance (PDM), a process
that has averaged more than 400 days in the past, is part of a new
B-2 maintenance approach expected to save taxpayers about $900
million over the life of the fleet.
Northrop Grumman is the Air Force's prime contractor for the
B-2, the most powerful and most survivable weapon system in the
nation's long range strike arsenal.
"Our success reducing PDM flow days to less than a year stems
from an aggressive, on-going effort by Northrop Grumman and the Air
Force to put more B-2s on the nation's flight line," said Dave
Mazur, vice president and B-2 program manager, Northrop Grumman
Aerospace Systems. "We've worked closely with our customers to
improve their B-2 parts acquisition process, while also reviewing
critically and streamlining every aspect of our own PDM
processes."
Under a B-2 contract modification signed in April, Northrop
Grumman will overhaul each jet once every nine years, versus the
previous frequency of once every seven years. The company will
maintain only two jets in PDM at any one time instead of the
historical three and will complete PDM in an average of 365
days.
"Over the past 22 years of operation, we've observed that many
of the B-2's major components are holding up much better than
expected," said Mazur. "As a result, we're able to extend its
maintenance interval without jeopardizing its readiness to serve
the nation's global security interests."
PDM includes a complete restoration of the B-2's outer surfaces;
servicing of many of its major moving parts such as landing gear,
control surfaces and ejection seats; and installation of software
or hardware upgrades. The process is performed at Northrop
Grumman's B-2 Depot & Modification Center in Palmdale.
The B-2 bomber is the only aircraft in the U.S. inventory that
combines stealth, long range, large payload and precision weapons
delivery. It can fly 6,000 nautical miles unrefueled and more than
10,000 nautical miles with just one aerial refueling, giving it the
ability to reach any point on the globe within hours, and hold at
risk an enemy's most heavily defended targets.
Please visit http://www.northropgrumman.com/performance/stealth/
for more information about the company's legacy developing advanced
aircraft systems.
Northrop Grumman is a leading global security company providing
innovative systems, products and solutions in unmanned systems,
cyber, C4ISR, and logistics and modernization to government and
commercial customers worldwide. Please visit
www.northropgrumman.com for more information.
CONTACT: Brooks McKinney, APR
310-812-4964 office
310-864-3785 mobile
brooks.mckinney@ngc.com
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