Recently in B-2 Category

Very big bombs -- like the 10-ton Massive Ordnance Air Blast (MOAB) and the 15-ton Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP) -- are back in style after about a 60-year hiatus.

Not since the days of Barnes Wallis and his famous Grand Slam have munitions makers been so focused on things that go boom, sans mushroom cloud.

Alas, it's going to be a while before anybody knows whether the MOP actually works, since the first drop test has been delayed 10 months to June. (Ironically, the flight test for the 787 -- a very different aerodynamic specimen also made by Boeing -- was delayed by the same margin.)

Anyway, here's my story on FlightGlobal.com.

An excerpt:

The programme has slipped because of technical problems with a "common carriage" bomb-release rack, says Davis. The undisclosed difficulties have forced the AFRL to design a new bomb rack for the MOP.

Development of the weapon's components, including guidance system, control surfaces, fuses and arming device, remain on track, says Davis. AFRL has increased the test programme's budget to $30 million - a $10 million jump - to cover development of the unique bomb rack.

It is not clear how the delays will affect the timetable for the US Air Forces's plan to integrate the same weapon on the Northrop Grumman B-2. US Congress has blocked the funding request to integrate the MOP into the B-2.

A bureaucracy that still smarts over revelations of $600 toilet seats and $1,000 hammers should be more careful than to spend $533,331 on a contract listed only as "B-2 accessories".

I know about this contract because of last week's post about the ongoing competition for the Flexible Acquisition Sustainment Tool follow-on (F2AST) program. This is a huge umbrella contract that allows the US Air Force to buy upgrades and modifications for aircraft a la cart.

(To find the B-2 item, click on this link, then click the "fast total orders awarded" tab on the bottom of the spreadsheet, then scroll down to entry #331.)

Who knew a stealth bomber needs accessories? I don't know for sure what a $533,331 contract buys in the defense business (besides two cups of coffee and a half-hour powerpoint presentation by a consultant), but I thought I might try a few other guesses:

1. Platinum-coated inlet grills, a la Flavor Flav
2. Inlaid mother of pearl embellishments for the mother of all bombs
3. This season's "it" electronic flight bags by Balenciaga
4. One celebrity-bred Chihuahua per combat-coded bomber

This is, of course, a competition. If you can come up with my favorite suggestion, I am prepared to offer as a reward one of my coolest conference freebies: a 2008 pocket calendar from the Society of Experimental Test Pilots.