- Engine replacement aims to significantly extend B-52 service life
- New turbofans promise greater fuel efficiency and lower maintenance needs
- The B-52’s aging TF33 engines have not been produced since the 1980s.
The US Air Force has authorized Boeing to begin replacing the B-52’s old Pratt & Whitney engines with new Rolls-Royce F130 turbofans.
Known as the ‘BUFF’ bomber, the first unit will arrive at Boeing’s facility in San Antonio, Texas, later this year for modification.
This long-awaited upgrade, known as the Commercial Engine Replacement Program or CERP, recently passed a critical design review that was originally scheduled for 2023.
Cost of keeping a Cold War bomber alive for a century
Estimating the total life cycle cost of the B-52 program is a daunting task, covering nearly a century of service from 1952 to 2050 with a maximum fleet of 744 aircraft.
Adjusted for inflation to the value of the dollar in 2050, the total cost of the program is estimated between $1.3 and $1.5 trillion, including initial development and production, ongoing historic operations and maintenance, and the massive B-52J modernization program currently underway.
The B-52 currently uses TF33 engines that have not been produced since 1985 and have become increasingly expensive to maintain.
The new F130 engines offer substantially better fuel economy and lower maintenance demands, which will extend the bomber’s range and reduce reliance on refueling tankers.
The upgrade also includes new twin-engine pods and modern generators that will significantly increase the aircraft’s electrical power capacity.
After receiving new engines and a radar upgrade, the bombers will be redesignated from B-52H to B-52J.
Delays, redesigns and the challenge of updating an aging fleet
The B-52 entered service in 1955 and has continuously flown missions since then, including the recent attacks against Iran.
The Air Force plans to keep the B-52 fleet operational into the 2050s, giving the aircraft nearly a full century of service.
However, CERP efforts have suffered multiple delays since the Rolls-Royce contract was awarded in 2021, as engineers identified a critical issue with engine inlet distortion, which required a redesign and additional wind tunnel testing.
The total estimated cost of the program has also increased, with reports suggesting it has risen from $8 billion to $9 billion.
“This critical design review of CERP is the culmination of a tremendous amount of engineering and integration work,” said Lt. Col. Tim Cleaver, CERP program director.
The upgrades are considered “crucial to maintaining the B-52 Stratofortress as a formidable asset in the country’s long-range strike arsenal through 2050 and beyond.”
The first redesigned B-52s will be tested at Edwards Air Force Base before the remaining 74 aircraft in the fleet are given the go-ahead.
The B-52 has outlasted every other bomber that ever shared the skies with it, and that’s no accident.
The airframe was rebuilt in ways that 1950s engineers couldn’t fully appreciate, and nothing else on the horizon can do what it can for a similar price.
Replacing the B-52 with a new platform built specifically for the same missions would cost much more than keeping the old airframes flying.
Whether the bet holds when the first modified B-52J rolls out of the hangar in the 2030s is a question only flight tests will answer.
Via Defense One
Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to receive news, reviews and opinions from our experts in your feeds.
