The U.S. Air Force plans to award a multiyear contract to the Boeing Co. in January for communications upgrades to the B-52 bomber.

The four-year, system development and demonstration (SDD) contract, estimated at about $200 million, will call for integrating new satellite communications and other enhancements into the B-52 to improve its ability to share information with other aircraft and with command centers, Air Force officials told The DAILY in recent written responses to questions.

The modifications also will enable the bomber to retarget its weapons after it has taken off.

The upgrade effort, called the Combat Network Communications Technology (CONeCT) program, is expected to have a total cost of about $900 million, with deliveries occurring from fiscal 2007 to FY '13.

The Air Force plans to put all 76 active B-52s through the CONeCT program. Up to 18 reserve aircraft may be modified as well.

Boeing, which manufactured the B-52, was tapped for the CONeCT work without a competition because it is the only company known to have the required expertise, according to the Air Force.

Jammer contracts on track

The Air Force, meanwhile, remains on track to award a pre-SDD contract in the spring of 2005 and an SDD contract in the spring of 2006 for the B-52 Stand-Off Jammer (SOJ), which will give the bomber the ability to suppress enemy air defenses. The Air Force is "working through a number of acquisition strategy alternatives" and has not picked a lead systems integrator yet, said Lt. Col. Scott Hardiman, who oversees B-52 modernization activities at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio.

The B-52 SOJ program is expected to participate in an initial operational assessment in FY '09 and FY '10 and achieve a full operational capability in FY '12-FY '15, Air Force officials said. The total effort, including the acquisition of receivers, transmitters and processing equipment, is expected to cost about $2.3 billion.