The US Air Force is spending more than $766 million on key B-52 modernization work, with Raytheon and Boeing receiving separate contracts covering radar and weapons-system improvements. The upgrades are intended to preserve the bomber’s operational effectiveness as it remains in service for decades to come.Raytheon’s $603 million contract calls for the production of the AN/APQ-188 active electronically scanned array radar. The system will replace the B-52’s older AN/APQ-166 mechanical radar and is expected to remain an important component of the bomber’s modernization architecture. The contract is scheduled to run through August 2031.Boeing’s $163 million award covers bomb rack modernization kits. These systems will complement planned improvements to the bomber’s avionics, sensors and weapons. The work is being carried out in San Antonio, Texas, with completion expected by December 2028.Derived from the APG-79 radar used by the F/A-18, the AN/APQ-188 is designed to provide the B-52 with better navigation precision, high-resolution mapping and improved target detection and tracking.Unlike traditional mechanically scanned radar systems, AESA technology electronically directs radar energy through numerous individual transmit/receive modules. This architecture enables rapid beam steering, multi-sector searches, simultaneous target tracking and quick switching between operating modes.Because the system does not depend on mechanical antenna movement, it can potentially offer higher reliability and lower maintenance demands. It can also continue functioning despite failures in individual radar modules.The new radar is only one part of a much larger B-52 modernization program involving 13 separate initiatives. The overall effort is expected to cost about $21 billion. According to the Government Accountability Office, 10 of those programs are experiencing cost, schedule or technical risks.The most significant challenge is the Commercial Engine Replacement Program. Its estimated price has climbed to $15.4 billion, representing a $3 billion increase since 2023, while the schedule has slipped by 15 months.The engine delays could complicate sustainment of the existing Pratt & Whitney TF33 powerplants. Spare-parts shortages are already affecting maintenance depots, and longer overhaul periods could lower the availability of some of the Air Force’s 76 active B-52 bombers.
