B-52 hits key milestones in engine and radar upgrades

The U.S. Air Force advanced its B-52 bomber modernization effort with two 2026 acquisition decisions: Milestone B approval on June 1 for the B-52J Commercial Engine Replacement Program (CERP), moving the engine upgrade into development, and Milestone C approval on Aug. 21 for the B-52 Radar Modernization Program (RMP), authorizing production to begin. Together, the upgrades are intended to keep the aircraft operationally relevant through 2050 and beyond as a cornerstone of the Nuclear Triad and the nation’s long-range strike capability.

“These back-to-back milestones reflect the maturity of both programs and the strong partnership between the B-52 Program Office, Boeing, Rolls-Royce and Raytheon,” said Brig. Gen. Timothy Spaulding, portfolio acquisition executive for Bombers and Director of the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center’s Bombers Directorate. “These programs are delivering the propulsion reliability, sensor capability and electrical power needed to keep this legendary bomber viable, lethal, and supportable well into the future.”

Program leaders frame the modernization around four functions: aviate, navigate, communicate and eliminate.

Aviate: The CERP replaces the B-52’s original TF33 engines with commercial-derivative Rolls-Royce F130 engines and updates key subsystems, including hydraulic pumps, cockpit displays, flight systems and generators, increasing electrical power capacity. The Milestone B decision established the first Acquisition Program Baseline and entry into the Engineering and Manufacturing Development phase, setting total acquisition cost at $20.2 billion for research, development, test and evaluation, procurement, and military construction. Of that amount, $2.6 billion has been spent since 2018. Program officials report significant risk reduction, including a redesign of the nacelle and inlet after wind-tunnel testing identified airflow distortion; the solution was validated through testing, and a critical design review with Boeing and Rolls-Royce concluded in May 2026. Engine testing continues. Two dedicated test aircraft, currently flying operational missions after depot maintenance, are slated to enter modification at Boeing’s San Antonio facility in the coming months to receive both CERP and RMP upgrades concurrently.

“CERP is a critical investment in the enduring credibility and capability of the B-52 force,” said William Bailey, performing the duties of the assistant secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics. “By establishing a stable cost and schedule foundation, we are positioning the B-52 to provide reliable, long-range strike and deterrence capacity for decades to come.”

Navigate: The RMP replaces the 1980s-era APQ-166 analog radar with the APQ-188, a military-off-the-shelf Active Electronically Scanned Array radar related to the systems used on the F-15 and F/A-18. The Milestone C decision authorized Low-Rate Initial Production, and contracts were awarded the same day to Raytheon Technologies for radars and to Boeing for aircraft integration kits, beginning with Lot 1 of four kits. The five-lot plan will deliver 74 kits, with the production approach intended to sustain stability and affordability. The program retired integration risks and demonstrated hardware maturity through ground testing of the initial software build, and a Production Readiness Review in June 2026 found the system ready for initial production.

Communicate and eliminate: The enterprise continues work on survivable nuclear command-and-control communications, including Extremely High Frequency terminals, and on conventional beyond-line-of-sight capabilities such as Hybrid SATCOM. Weapons integration efforts include the latest variants of the Long-Range Anti-Ship Missile and Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile, and the B-52 is serving as a test platform for hypersonic weapons.

Strong bones: As part of Milestone B activities for CERP, detailed structural assessments verified the airframe can safely support new engines, increased electrical power generation and decades of further operations. The evaluations confirmed substantial remaining structural life, with analyses projecting sufficient fatigue life to support operations into the 2050s and beyond.