AFWERX SBIR Program Supports B-52 Beyond-line-of-sight Communications
WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio – AFWERX’s Small Business Innovation Research program helped advance a beyond-line-of-sight communications prototype now employed operationally on the B-52 Stratofortress, supporting the bomber’s long-range strike missions and connectivity with air operations centers.
The B-52 Stratofortress long-range strike and deterrence capabilities have supported the U.S. Air Force since 1955. Designed to deliver nuclear and precision-guided conventional ordnance worldwide, the bomber entered service during the early years of the Cold War and has evolved through successive modernization programs to remain a key component of the Air Force’s long-range strike fleet.
With aircraft expected to remain in the Air Force inventory for decades, continued modernization is critical to maintaining the B-52's effectiveness in increasingly contested operating environments. Effective communications are a key part of that modernization, supporting both operational missions and the training of Airmen who operate and maintain the aircraft.
To address an operational need for beyond-line-of-sight communications, Air Force Global Strike Command pursued a prototype capability for the B-52. In June 2022, the 49th Test and Evaluation Squadron conducted the first airborne demonstration of the system, known as IRIS, on a B-52 at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. The 608th Air Operations Center assessed voice and data transfers, including images and video, from the aircraft.
The demonstration showed how commercial technology could improve bomber connectivity and support coordination across geographically dispersed air operations centers. Air Force officials also identified the effort as contributing to the B-52’s integration into Joint All-Domain Command and Control.
AFWERX supported the effort through a Small Business Innovation Research Phase II contract to integrate the commercial Outerlink Global Solutions communications system onto the B-52. In 2023, the effort transitioned to a $26 million Strategic Funding Increase (STRATFI) contract, providing additional resources to advance the capability toward operational employment.
AFGSC/s A5N Rapid Capabilities Division and A5B Bomber Requirements Division led the requirements effort, translating operational needs into technical parameters aligned with B-52 platform constraints and long-term modernization priorities. The B-52 System Program Office, 49th Test and Evaluation Squadron, 608th Air Operations Center and 307th Bomb Wing supported integration, testing and operational assessment
As of April 1, 2026, multiple IRIS kits had been installed on B-52 aircraft and delivered to the 49th TES to support training and operational employment. The system is currently in operational use but remains a prototype under evaluation for consideration as a long-term communication solution.
This effort demonstrates how AFWERX programs can help transition emerging commercial technologies from prototype development toward operational employment in response to identified warfighter requirements. It also illustrates the role of rapid acquisition and collaboration across the Air Force in adapting proven technologies to meet the evolving needs of a long-serving weapons platform.
*Disclaimer: References to non-federal entities do not constitute or imply Department of War or Air Force endorsement of any company or organization.