COLUMBUS, Ohio –
Building on the success of last year's inaugural event, Defense Logistics Agency Weapons Support recently hosted its second B-2 Bomber Summit at Defense Supply Center Columbus. The event brought together supply chain experts, engineers and program managers to discuss sustainment strategies for the B-2 stealth bomber.
Attendees included representatives from DLA Weapons Support in Columbus and Richmond; the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center’s B-2 System Program Office at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma; Air Force Global Strike Command at Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri; and industry partners.
The summit focused on improving communication, refining forecasting models and addressing parts obsolescence for the aging bomber fleet. A key topic of discussion was the “1913 process,” a forecasting tool utilized to help DLA anticipate future Air Force demands and align stock levels proactively, rather than reacting to sudden shortages.
“This has been a long-term project to strengthen the relationship between the [System Program Office], Global Strike Command and DLA to support the warfighter,” said Cindy Connor, Air Force B-2 Air Vehicle and Systems Management deputy branch chief. “It’s very essential that we work together as a team in order to keep things smooth and moving in the right direction.”
A major theme of the summit was combating diminishing manufacturing sources and material shortages. With the B-2 platform utilizing technology dating back to the 1980s, the teams discussed leveraging the Small Business Innovation Research program and reverse engineering to qualify new vendors.
Industry partners were on site and presented solutions to expedite the procurement process. Demonstrations included digital twin technology designed to map the defense acquisition landscape, rapidly identify qualified vendors and mitigate supply chain bottlenecks. Additionally, metal casting and fabrication specialists highlighted successes in reverse-engineering legacy parts, including the recent delivery of hundreds of critical slider bosses and ongoing repairs of indicator panels for Whiteman Air Force Base, saving the Air Force thousands of dollars per unit.
DLA and Air Force engineers also addressed the management of interagency engineering support requests that often delay procurement. By integrating technical expertise early in the acquisition process and utilizing new data-sharing practices, the teams aim to reduce these administrative lead times and break the cycle of backorders.
“This is how we win the fight,” said Ricky “Rainman” Ingram, a B-2 SPO representative, emphasizing that solving supply chain issues below the water line prevents visible, critical aircraft groundings and directly enables high-priority missions including long-range strategic strikes.
Kit Riesbeck, a DLA Weapon Support division chief, said that sustaining the aging aircraft requires a continuous, unified effort across all agencies.
“Our partnership with the B2 Program Office and the Global Strike Team is key to DLA Weapon Support’s ability to continue providing the critical support necessary to keep this platform in the air and operational, she said “Events like these help keep that partnership strong.”