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In a big win for U.S. Air Force readiness, the “Spirit of Nebraska” a B-2 bomber, returned to operations 91 days ahead of schedule, after completing programmed depot maintenance (PDM) here on Oct. 15, 2024.
Previously, it has taken B-2s approximately 470 days to go through PDM. However, the “Spirit of Nebraska” was able to get through PDM in only 379 days due to several changes the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center’s Bombers Directorate made to improve efficiency.
“Bringing these jets into PDM, getting the work done quickly, and delivering them back to the warfighter early is a big deal,” said Col. Francis Marino, B-2 System Program Manager within the Bombers Directorate. “This accomplishment would not have been possible without the great partnership between our team, Air Force Global Strike Command and Northrop Grumman.”
PDM occurs every nine years, and is an exhaustive inspection, overhaul, and repair of the bomber, with much of the work focused on restoration of the bomber’s Low Observable (LO) or stealth materials.
“PDM’s main objective is to accomplish LO restoration of the aircraft,” said Staci Gravette, B-2 PDM Program Manager. “Since the aircraft is stripped [for LO restoration] we are also able to do other maintenance work as well.”
One of the ways the Air Force was able to reduce PDM time for the aircraft, was to conduct the fuel system inspection earlier in the PDM cycle.
In the past, if an inspection identified a fuel leak, the team would have to pull parts and materials back off the aircraft, repair the leak, and redo previous work, often causing a 45-day delay. Moving the fuel system inspection up in the PDM cycle, eliminated duplicate work and delay.
Additionally, the team was able to reduce time by conducting pre-inspections of the aircraft before it arrived at PDM. This allowed them to catch issues ahead of time, order parts, and work specific repairs into the schedule.
“As any aircraft continues to age, you're going to see more and more issues that need to be repaired on a PDM line,” Marino said. “The pre-inspection is great because it reduces the number of surprises at PDM.”
Maintaining the B-2s dominance is a priority for the Bombers Directorate. Improving the PDM process and other sustainment and modernization efforts the directorate is leading, ensures the aircraft continues to operate.
“Nothing else can even come close,” said Shawn Clay, B-2 Product Support Manager, referring to the capabilities of the B-2. “When you take into account that this is 1980s technology [on the aircraft] that is still leading the world today, it just speaks volumes to the amazing aircraft weapon system that it is. On top of that, the actual mission – holding our enemies at bay and giving them a moment of pause … like the thought of a B-2 coming in and before you even know it’s there, the fight’s all over.”
“Until the B-21 is fielded, the B-2 is the world’s only long-range penetrable strike bomber and the only aircraft that can do what we need it to do today,” added Marino. “As long as the aircraft is operational and our adversaries continue to come out with new and advanced weaponry across the electromagnetic spectrum, we’re going to have to continuously invest in the B-2s lethality, its survivability, and of course its readiness. The work we’re doing on the PDM line will play a key role in all of this.”
| Date Taken: | 10.21.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 10.21.2024 11:22 |
| Story ID: | 483548 |
| Location: | PALMDALE, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Web Views: | 116 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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