U.S. Pushes 70-Year-Old B-52 Bomber Into 2050s With F130 Engines - AESA Radar and Strike Upgrades

The US Air Force is advancing a broad B-52 modernization package intended to keep the bomber operational into the 2050s. The future B-52J will replace eight TF33 engines with Rolls-Royce F130s, add an APQ-188 active electronically scanned array radar and receive electrical and mission-system upgrades. The engine program passed Milestone B on June 1, while the radar effort reached Milestone C on August 21, enabling further engineering and production work. Two aircraft are scheduled to undergo concurrent modifications in San Antonio, and the overall effort is designed to complement the newer B-21 fleet.