According to the U.S. Air Force’s justification documents for its 2024 budget request, the B-52Hs will be re-designated as B-52Js once they receive their new Rolls Royce F130 engines. This decision puts to rest a longstanding debate on the appropriate designation for the B-52 as it undergoes significant upgrades, including a new radar, communications and navigation equipment, and weapons, aimed at keeping it credible and capable through the 2050s.
Airman 1st Class Gerald R. Willis, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Replacing the original engines with the new Rolls Royce F130s is expected to pay for itself through 30 percent better fuel efficiency and elimination of engine overhauls, as the F130s will not require an overhaul for the duration of their expected life on the B-52 wing. Additionally, the new engines will require associated subsystems, such as engine struts and nacelles, the electrical power generation system, and cockpit displays, to be replaced.
Along with the new engines, CERP will also replace other subsystems, and the development, production, and installation of new engines and related subsystems will replace the legacy equipment on all 76 B-52H aircraft. Including monies expended so far, the total cost of the B-52 CERP Middle Tier of Acquisition effort will be $1.32 billion, including research, development, test, and evaluation.
In addition to the re-engining effort, the B-52 will also receive a new radar, a variant of the Raytheon AN/APG-79, an active, electronically-scanned array (AESA) radar used on the Navy’s F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter. The new radar will replace the APG-166, which the Air Force says suffers from severe “vanishing vendor” issues and parts problems that will make the radar “unsupportable” before 2030. The AESA will add significant new capabilities in search, ground mapping, and electronic warfare.
The upgrades will open the door to other changes as well. As B-52 CERP brings additional capability to the B-52, emerging security/certification requirements, such as nuclear hardening, cybersecurity, and program protection, will also need to be addressed. Several concurrent aircraft upgrades during the B-52 CERP may necessitate temporary facilities or facility upgrades/modifications.
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