Summary
- B-52J delayed to 2033 due to funding and design activities underestimates.
- B-52s to fly until at least 2050 with new engines for improved fuel economy and range.
- B-52 to outlive B-1 and B-2 bombers, and will receive AESA radars for improved situational awareness.
While “old but gold” is a moniker that could very appropriately describe the B-52 Superfortress, the venerable bomber is not without its issues. Instead of retiring the B-52s, the US Air Force plans to keep the old birds flying for many more years. To keep them flying, they are to be re-engined and upgraded. However, according to a new Government Accountability Office (GAO) report, the program will be delayed by another three years. The upgraded B-52s are now not expected to reach initial operational capability until 2033 – some 15 years after the project’s initiation.
B-52J delayed to 2033
The Air Force’s B-52 Commercial Engine Replacement Program (B-52 CERP) is the program to replace the Stratofortress engines. Currently, they are equipped with eight out-of-production Pratt & Whitney TF33 engines. The plan is to substitute them one-for-one with new Rolls-Royce F130 engines. The F130 or BR700 family of Rolls-Royce engines are found on Bombardiers, Gulfstreams, Boeing 717s, and the upcoming Dassault Falcon 10X.
Photo: Christopher Chambers | Shutterstock
Rolls-Royce F130 engines provide lower maintenance, improved fuel economy (as well as extended range). Along with the engines, the program will see the B-52s receive new engine struts, electrical power generation systems, and cockpit displays. A critical radar upgrade program for the B-52s is also delayed.
The program only delivered a virtual prototype in 2023. It is now planned to spend nine years developing and testing the physical prototypes before they are initial capability in mid-fiscal year 2033. Once they are upgraded, the B-52s will receive the new designation B-52J.
The GAO reports that the delays are partly from underestimating the “level of funding needed to complete the detailed design activities.” The GAO has noted a 12.6% cost increase since the 2021 cost estimate. Going forward, this may be remedied. Inside Defense noted after trawling through the Air Force’s 2025 Fiscal Year budget that there’s a request to increase the CERP’s funding by $1 billion from around $8 billion to $9 billion.
Related
What Are The Main Bomber Planes Used By The US Air Force?
Some of the Air Force’s largest aircraft are strategic bombers.
B-52s to out-live replacement bombers
The B-52s are expected to fly until at least 2050 – and possibly beyond. Upgrading the engines is just one of the ways the Air Force is extending the B-52 service. The War Zone also noted that the Air Force is planning to install active electronically scanned array (AESA) radars derived from the AN/APG-79 radar (versions of this radar are found on Super Hornets and Growlers). The radar, with its greater range and fidelity, will provide the B-52J with greater situational awareness.
Photo: USAF
B-52s carry nuclear and conventional weapons, and they are also planned to carry hypersonic missiles (currently in development). The B-52 bomber is expected to outlive the aircraft built to replace it, like the B-1 Lancer and likely the B-2 Spirit. It will serve alongside the B-21 Raider now in low-rate production (although it will fill very different missions). The last B-52s were built in 1962 – meaning that some of the aircraft may live to be almost 100 years old (at least around 90 years old).