A Boeing rendering of the B-52J Stratofortress with the new Rolls-Royce engines. (Boeing)
The Pentagon’s project to modernize engines on B-52 Stratofortress bombers has passed a “pivotal milestone,” the Air Force said Monday.
The Commercial Engine Replacement Program to switch out eight 1960s-era Pratt & Whitney TF33 engines on each plane with Rolls-Royce F130 engines passed its Critical Design Review.
“This effort is crucial for keeping the B-52 Stratofortress a formidable asset in the nation’s long-range strike arsenal through 2050 and beyond,” the Air Force said in a statement.
The Air Force said the Critical Design Review is a comprehensive technical assessment by experts from the Air Force, Boeing and Rolls-Royce that scrutinizes the complete system design to ensure it meets military and technical requirements.
The positive results of the design review allow the Air Force to take the next step: Putting the new engines on existing bombers.
“It’s that point that you go from having a concept turned into a design, to then turning that design into something physical — something that we will test and field for Air Force Global Strike Command,” said Lt. Col. Tim Cleaver, the program’s manager.
Two airframes will be fitted with the Rolls-Royce engines at a Boeing facility in San Antonio and then go for extensive testing at Edwards Air Force Base in California.
The Air Force plans to have the first B-52 with the new engine at Edwards by the end of 2026.
The upgrade also includes a modern generator for each engine, which will increase the aircraft’s electrical power capacity.
If the tests go well, the Air Force will update its fleet of remaining Stratofortresses. Bombers with the upgraded engines, avionics and other features will be given the designation of B-52J.
The B-52 first flew in April 1952 from Boeing Field in Seattle. The Air Force bought 744 of the bombers between 1952 and when production ended with the H variant in 1962. It currently flies 76 B-52H models, built in the early 1960s.
The engine and other updates will “enable the B-52J to remain in the fight for future generations,” the Air Force said.
The Air Force has announced a long-range plan to cut its current bomber force to just two types: the new B-21 Raider stealth bomber and the upgraded B-52J Stratofortress. As new B-21s are delivered by manufacturer Northrop Grumman, the Air Force will retire its B-1B Lancer and B-2 Spirit bombers.
The Pentagon budget proposal released last month would spend $1.7 billion to continue updating the B-1 and B-2, which the Air Force said would keep the other bombers flying longer while deliveries of the B-21s ramp up.
