[Satellite TODAY 03-19-10] Northrop Grumman technicians have begun installing the first set of hardware for a U.S. Air Force B-2 stealth bomber extremely high frequency (EHF) satellite communications program, Northrop Grumman announced March 17. 

    The EHF upgrades aim to allow the jet to send and receive battlefield information up to 100 times faster than its current satellite communications system.

Northrop Grumman is the Air Force’s prime contractor for the B-2 Spirit, the flagship of the nation’s long range strike arsenal, and the only combat-proven stealth platform in the current U.S. military inventory.

“The installation of EHF Increment 1 hardware also means that we’re nearly done with a significant task of software development, integration and testing for the program,” Dave Mazur, Northrop Grumman’s vice president of long range strike and B-2 program manager, said in a statement.

The three-increment EHF Satcom program is part of an on-going effort by the Air Force and Northrop Grumman to modernize the B-2. Increment 2 involves installation of a new communications terminal and Increment 3 will integrate the B-2 into the U.S. Department of Defense’s Global Information Grid.