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The U.S. Air Force has awarded AAI Logistics & Technical Services, an operating unit of Textron Systems, a contract to provide logistics support and concurrency upgrades for the B-1B Training System. The award holds a potential value of $162 million over seven years.
The B-1B Training System is used by personnel who operated the Air Force’s B-1B Lancer bomber.
Under the first phase of the contract, AAI will provide maintenance and operator support for 32 B-1B simulators at Dyess Air Force Base, Texas; Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D.; and Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas. AAI also will operate the B-1B Training System Support Center at Dyess.
The transition period for this contract, previously held by Rockwell Collins, began Jan. 17. All AAI employees will be in place at the three bases by April 1.
John Hayward, director of training services for AAI Logistics & Technical Services, said the next phase of the contract, slated to be awarded this spring, includes the concurrency upgrades to the B-1B Training System.
“We will be responsible for the concurrency modifications, and really making sure that there’s a plan for how the simulators will change to match aircraft changes,” Hayward said.
Hayward said the modifications AAI will design and deploy to bring the B-1B training system in line with the aircraft will take place in three parts. The first will be an integrated battle station modification: an avionics upgrade that provides faster, secure data communications from ground troops to provide pilots with greater situational awareness.
Another concurrency modification will be “Sustainment Block Upgrade 16,” Hayward said, to bring the simulators in line with the ongoing software updates done to the live aircraft.
The third modification will be to replace the simulators’ hydraulic control loading systems, which provide the proper resistance for the stick and rudder, with digital control loading systems.
Hayward acknowledged the contract is a “significant win” for AAI, which holds similar contracts for C-17 maintenance training and Joint STARS, and hopes to continue expanding its training portfolio.
