NEW WEAPONS TESTED 'LIVE'.

Byline: Daily News

EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE - For the first time, the B-2 Global Power Bomber Combined Test Force released two of its newly upgraded 5,000-pound ``live'' weapons.

The B/B weapons are enhanced versions of an earlier series designed specifically for the B-2, according to 1st Lt. James Cole, 419th Flight Test Squadron responsible engineer.

``The purpose of this testing was to accomplish effective air operations by improving the capabilities of the B-2 with air-to-surface munitions able to strike deeply buried targets through adverse environmental conditions,'' said Cole.

The release earlier this month was in the skies over the Utah Testing and Training Range at Hill Air Force Base. The first successful drop of live GBU-28 B/B series weapons came on the last dedicated flight for the developmental test and evaluation phase of the program.

Testing began in March, with the release of an inert GBU-28 B/B at the China Lake Naval Air Warfare Center in California. Information from the March release was analyzed at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida, Cole said. After approval there, the program entered the next phase of testing.

This next testing phase was conducted in April in Utah with the actual release of a developmental test vehicle - an inert GBU-28 B/B with an integrated guidance system, Cole said.

Integrating the weapons system into the B-2 did not require extreme modifications, Cole said.

``There were no physical modifications done on the B-2 rotary launcher assembly,'' said Cole. ``There was only a small software change made to the mission independent data file in order to integrate the weapon onto the B-2.''

Three passes across the target at the Utah range were made in line with multiple engineering objectives set by the B-2 test team for the mission.

``The first dry pass was flown to simulate an actual release, allowing the pilots to become familiar with the routes, targets and timing needed to accomplish the mission,'' said Cole. ``The dry pass ensured the chase plane - which was an F-16 from Edwards Test Operations - was in the right position for the photographer to document the releases.''

On the second pass, auto global positioning satellite-aided targeting, or AGAT, was used in releasing two live GBU-28 B/Bs, Cole explained. AGAT is used to update and refine target information to send to the weapon.

The second live GBU-28 B/B was released on the final pass. According to Maj. Todd Copeland, project pilot, the B-2 is the only aircraft in the inventory capable of in-flight radar-targeting updating.

``This version of laser-guided weapons offers a graduated level of precision, enabling weapons to strike on target in any weather,'' said Copeland. ``The real combat multiplier is that, from a weaponeer's point of view, this enhanced weapon can be employed by both fighter and bomber aircraft to strike hardened targets with a common frame of reference. The flexibility of the GBU-28 B/B will benefit both bomber and fighter pilots.''

Along with the military, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon and Boeing continue to conduct testing and evaluation to increase the capabilities of the B-2.

After tests are completed at Edwards, operational testing will begin at Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri. The overall program is scheduled for completion by the end of 2004.