The US Air Force has now made it official that the re-engined B-52H Stratofortress bombers will be redesignated as B-52Js, marking a big milestone in its modernization journey. This decision, according to fiscal 2024 budget documents of the Air Force, closes over how to designate the upgraded aircraft.
The B-52, a workhorse for the Air Force since it was introduced in 1955, is preparing for some of the biggest enhancements in its 61-year service history. More than a $1 billion effort will install new Rolls Royce F130 engines, a state-of-the-art radar system, and state-of-the-art communications and navigation equipment, which will allow the B-52 to keep flying through the 2050s operationally relevant.
“Any B-52H aircraft modified with the new commercial engines and associated subsystems are designated as B-52J,” the Air Force wrote in budget justification documents. In other words, this is a redesignation since major structural changes of the aircraft will be done, which include the integration of new weapon systems.
Among the advanced weaponry that was originally developed for the B-52, is the hypersonic AGM-183 Air-Launched Rapid Response Weapon. After a few more tests, the Air Force has decided to phase out the ARRW program and replace the focus of their efforts on the Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile.
The original name for the re-engining program was the Commercial Engine Replacement Program, but the current program is CERP RVP, which stands for CERP Rapid Virtual Prototyping. The objective of this activity is to speed up the acquisition process and deliver improved capability sooner. The program will enter the Major Capability Acquisition phase after the close of the RVP phase.
It has budgeted nearly $3 billion for B-52 procurement over the next several years, requesting a modest $65.82 million for 2024, growing to more than $1.1 billion per year in 2027 and 2028. Of that total amount, $845.9 million is allocated for the Radar Modernization Program, which will buy 74 radar kits, three training systems kits, and two engineering and manufacturing development kits.
The new radar is a derivative of the Raytheon AN/APG-79 AESA radar presently fielded in the Navy’s F/A-18 Super Hornet and will replace the legacy APG-166. The upgrade promises dramatic improvements in the maintainability of the system, search, ground-mapping, and electronic warfare functionalities. The smaller physical size that comes with the new radar will also create growth capacity in the front section of the aircraft.
This re-engining program has been budgeted for $2.56 billion, peaking in 2025 at $650.5 million. Said to offer 30% better fuel efficiency and do away with the maintenance-wrecking need for overhauls, the new Rolls Royce F130 engines will thus bring about massive savings in maintenance costs. Other subsystems being replaced together with the new engines are engine struts, nacelles, electrical power generation systems, and cockpit displays.
Despite these modernizations, an audit of the Air Force finds that it struggles to keep track of spare parts for its fleet of aging B-52s. The auditors concluded the Air Force needed a complete list of spare parts and its reliance on ripping out parts from other planes – otherwise known as cannibalization – means fewer bombers are ready for missions. The audit resulted in the Air Force agreeing that it would include a Weapon System Support Program coding review annually.
Boeing, as the lead contractor for the B-52 overhaul, has been working closely with Rolls Royce to expedite the modernization process. Having an actual B-52 on location has greatly aided their ability to rapidly comprehend and remedy issues. The Commercial Engine Replacement Program and Radar Modernization Program are programmed to be completed during each aircraft’s scheduled depot maintenance, extending the depot time to approximately 10 months.
The engines will be F130 engines, the most powerfully efficient in the world, outmatching the Rolls Royce BR725s the TF33s replaced. Non-handed, the new engines are interchangeable between left- and right-hand pods for reduced labor.
The Air Force projects that the B-52Js will be fully operational by the end of the decade when both new engines and radars are installed. All this modernization will ensure that the B-52 continues to be the backbone of the Strategic Bomber Fleet far into the future.