Officially Designated: B-52J: The re-engined B-52 Stratofortress has been officially designated by the U.S. Air Force as the B-52J in a major milestone of the aircraft modernization journey. A move confirmed and detailed by the service in fiscal 2024 budget documents pushes resolution to one of the longest-running questions in the upgraded bomber.
Included in the latest transformation that the B-52 has undergone are some of the most major upgrades the planes have seen in their lifetime, from new Rolls-Royce F130 engines down to advanced radar, communications, and navigation systems. These are fitted so that flying operations of the B-52J can easily continue well into the 2050s.
“Any B-52H aircraft modified with the new commercial engines and associated subsystems are designated as B-52J,” the Air Force wrote in justification documents accompanying its proposed budget for fiscal 2024. This re-engining effort was originally dubbed the Commercial Engine Replacement Program, but it has morphed over time into CERP RVP, with greater emphasis on Rapid Virtual Prototyping to get there quicker.
The Air Force is pumping nearly $3 billion into B-52 procurement over coming years, much of which has been allocated to the Radar Modernization Program, or RMP. The program is dedicated $845.9 million across the upcoming Future Years Defense Request, peaking at $271.95 million in 2027. The new radar is a variant of the active electronically scanned array Raytheon AN/APG-79 on the Navy’s F/A-18 Super Hornet, and it will replace the antiquated APG-166 radar on the B-52H. The AESA radar advances the B-52J in search, ground mapping, and EW.
Funded at $2.56 billion, the re-engining effort will replace the original Pratt & Whitney TF33s with Rolls-Royce F130s. The result is expected to be a 30 percent increase in fuel economy and eliminate requirements for engine overhauls. Associated changes include updates to engine struts, nacelles, the electrical power generation system, and cockpit displays.
The nose-mounted electro-optical blisters will also be removed on the B-52J and replaced with a new radome accommodating the advanced radar. These upgrades will enhance not only the operability of the bomber but also address issues such as emerging security and certification requirements to include nuclear hardening and cybersecurity.
With these developments, an unexpected report showed the B-52J would be ready for service in 2033, with airframe updates being the causative factors of the delay. This latter situation may create debilitating breaks in the strategic capabilities of the U.S. Air Force; nevertheless, the Air Force is still committed to the quick implementation of the B-52J to reduce the impact on the nation’s security.
Modernization of the B-52J is critical to maintaining the strategic edge of the U.S. Air Force. Advanced technologies combined with enhanced operational efficiency will extend the B-52J’s viability as an overwhelming force in the U.S. military arsenal.