Extra Large Deployable Aircraft Hangar System
Extra Large Deployable Aircraft Hangar Systems (Formerly B-2 Shelter System or B-2 Shelter Program , XLDAHS or B2ss for short ), in German about an extra large movable aircraft hangar system, was originally designed as a hangar for the Northrop B-2 bomber so to be able to conceal the whereabouts of the aircraft and to offer the maintenance crews a place for repairs. Later these hangars were also used for other aircraft.
history
In 1998 it turned out that the maintenance crews on Guam had insufficient places to service the B-2 bombers. So the military started a project to develop transportable accommodation for these aircraft. In October 1999 the contract to build it went to American Spaceframe Fabricators, Inc. The first model went to Whiteman Air Force Base , where a team set up and dismantled the XLDAHS three times. On September 28, 2001, the United States Department of Defense awarded the US $ 12 million contract to build four facilities, including the technology needed to operate and transport them.
Data
A XLDAHS is 76 meters wide, 38 meters long and 18 meters high and costs between 2 and 2.5 million US dollars . Thanks to their construction, they can withstand wind speeds of up to 177 km / h and can carry snow loads of up to 200 kg per square meter. Thanks to the possibility of putting XLDAHS under overpressure and sealing them off completely against environmental influences, they can also be used as emergency bunkers in the event of chemical and biological attacks.
Usage locations
- One on the RAF Fairford
- Four on Diego Garcia (on the left you can clearly see the four golden domes )
- Five at Andersen Air Force Base