A newly modified NASA #926 (#63-13503) is seen over March ARB, CA 4/8/09 Photo: Dan Stijovich

4/13/2009 - NASA's WB-57 #926 has recently been spotted with new, fairly extensive modifications, which appear to have been added to the aircraft in late 2008, early 2009. The most noticeable new features are a larger nose radome, which possibly houses a new radar, and a long thin radome mounted on the front side of the fuselage... possibly indicating some sort of low band antenna or scanned array. Numerous new antennas and other details have also been added.

#926 was utilized in 2007/08 in the testing of the Battlefield Airborne Communications Node (BACN). BACN is a system that offers the ability to link communications of various types and modes in both

Newly modified NASA #926 taxis at March ARB, CA 4/6/09 Photo: Dan Stijovich

data and voice form, between numerous assets on the battlefield. The system basically acts as a communications hub that allows various entities across multiple services to pass voice, text, video and other data, using equipment that might otherwise be incompatible when used directly. This system is intended to ultimately be utilized on Unmanned Aerial Vehicles.

This new equipment appears to be part of the continued testing in the BACN program, but may also be part of a separate, or combined test program.

 

 

Source: ©The North Spin