The Air Force’s New B-52J Bomber Has a New Enemy

Cost might end the B-52J bomber program: The US Air Force is modernizing the venerable B-52 bomber to keep it flying into its 100th birthday. The plan is to pair the B-52 with the new B-21 Raider stealth bomber to take the Air Force into the future.

The modernized bomber, designated the B-52J will replace the current B-52H.

But there are problems afoot with the high costs of the modernization with the engines and especially the new radar program that has triggered the Nunn McCurdy Cost Breach.

The Nunn McCurdy Cost Breach on the B-52J

The breach occurs when a cost overrun in a major defense program that triggers a notification to Congress and potentially program termination. The Nunn-McCurdy Act mandates that programs exceeding certain costs must be terminated unless the Secretary of Defense certifies that they are essential to national security and other criteria are met.

A significant breach occurs when costs increase 15% or more above the current baseline estimate. A critical breach occurs when costs increase 25% or more above the current baseline or 50% or more above the original baseline.

The service secretary must notify Congress of a significant breach, and the Secretary of Defense must notify Congress of a critical breach.

A critical breach typically requires program termination, unless the Secretary of Defense certifies that the program is essential to national security and other conditions are met.

What Triggered The Breach:

The Air Force reported the B-52 radar unit cost increase as “significant,” meaning a that it crossed the threshold of at least 15 percent. Air Force sources said the increase is about 17 percent, meaning the program does not need certification to continue.

“The Air Force Program Executive Officer for Bombers submitted a program deviation report to the Air Force Service Acquisition Executive,” an Air Force spokesperson said. “The Air Force is assessing the cost and schedule growth on the program and initial review of the PDR indicates it will be a significant cost breach.”

Darlene Costello, principal deputy assistant secretary of the Air Force for acquisition, technology and logistics, told a House Armed Services subcommittee on May 8, that while the breach did occur, she is “pretty confident” that it won’t enter the critical threshold.

“But we are beyond the ‘significant’ threshold and we’re working through the process” to officially notify Congress,” she added.

Raytheon is the contractor developing and installing the new radar under contract to Boeing. The Radar Modernization Program (RMP) is replacing the B-52’s obsolete and problematic analog AN/APQ-166 radar with the Raytheon AN/APQ-188— a hybrid of the active electronically-scanned array (AESA) radars used by the Boeing F-15 and F/A-18, configured mostly for the air-to-ground mission.

“The next step in the process is for the Secretary of the Air Force to provide the formal notification to Congress prior to May 24,” the Air Force spokesperson said.

Cost Overruns Could Lead To Cuts In the Program:

One potential issue on the horizon is that these cost overruns could trigger cuts to the overall program of the B-52J. This issue with RMP and other cost overruns have caused many analysts to believe that the Air Force will be forced to make deep cuts to the bomber program.

The B-52 is the only one of three bomber classes currently in service in the U.S. Air Force that is expected to remain operational beyond the mid-2030s, with the U.S. Air Force having already made deep cuts to its problematic B-1B bomber fleet, while the B-2 Spirit stealth bomber fleet is scheduled for an early retirement due to its high operational costs and the growing obsolescence of its stealth capabilities.

B-52J To Be Powered By Rolls-Royce Engines:

Alongside a new radar, a significant part of the upgrade program is the integration of eight Rolls-Royce F130 engines on each aircraft to replace the old Cold War-era Pratt & Whitney TF33s.

This upgrade, while costly, will reduce maintenance requirements and increase range. The B-52 is intended to operate as part of a complementary pairing of bombers alongside the B-21 Raider, the next-generation stealth bomber.

“This milestone is the culmination of over two years of detailed design work and close collaboration between teams at Rolls-Royce, the Air Force, and Boeing,” a Rolls-Royce statement read.

“The engine testing program is on track to begin altitude testing in February 2025 at the U.S. Air Force Arnold Engineering Development Complex in Tullahoma, Tennessee.”

This Air Force modernization program doesn’t really sit well with the potential for war against near-peer enemies like China and Russia. The B-52 is one of the greatest aircraft in history. However, it isn’t suited for a war against well-armed and equipped enemies.

About the Author:

Steve Balestrieri is a National Security Columnist. He served as a US Army Special Forces NCO and Warrant Officer. In addition to writing on defense, he covers the NFL for PatsFans.com and is a member of the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA). His work was regularly featured in many military publications.