Air Force asserts B-52 modernization remains on cost and schedule following June crash

DAYTON, Ohio — After a B-52H Stratofortress test aircraft crashed last month, the Air Force is on track to have a replacement bomber ready to resume testing by the end of 2026, according to service officials.

The Air Force is still analyzing what caused a B-52 bomber to crash on June 15 while taking off from Edwards Air Force Base in California on a mission to try out its new radar kit. The incident killed all eight crew members on board. As it supports the ongoing investigation, the service is actively modifying a second bomber with an upgraded radar suite so that testing can resume as quickly as possible, Col. Spencer Turner, B-52 program manager, told reporters Monday.

“We lost the first aircraft with the crash in June, but the original acquisition plan and execution strategy was always to have two test aircraft,” Turner said during a media roundtable at the Air Force Life Cycle Industry Days. “That modification effort on that second aircraft is ongoing, and we expect to complete the full modification and put the full radar suite onto the aircraft this year and proceed with testing.”

The work is part of the Air Force’s sprawling effort to modernize its fleet of legacy B-52s so that they can remain in service through the 2050s. Upgrades include brand new Rolls-Royce F130 engines under the Commercial Engine Replacement Program (CERP), as well as an advanced AN/APQ-188 radar that is derived from those on fighter aircraft.

Raytheon is developing and installing the new radar under contract to Boeing, which serves as the prime integrator for the future B-52J platform.

But because the aircraft being upgraded have been flying since the 1960s, the modernization efforts have faced challenges. Notably, the Air Force declared a Nunn-McCurdy cost breach on the Radar Modernization Program in 2025 that forced the service to scale back the amount of upgrades the bombers will initially receive, according to an annual report from the Pentagon’s Director of Operational Test and Evaluation.

“Anytime you take an aircraft of this age and re-engine it and put a new radar on it, it is a significant lift that the team has spent years planning for and focused on getting right for our warfighters,” Turner said. “It’s a constant focus on cost and schedule stability, and we remain on track for both efforts.”

While testing for B-52 modernization remains on hold as the Air Force prepares the replacement platform, the program office is reviewing its overall strategy and schedule to prevent any further delays, he said. 

Turner could not provide any additional details about when testing would resume, but noted that the Air Force will likely tweak its modernization plans after the investigation into the crash is finished.

“Obviously, the crash was not in our original schedule. And so we need to look at our schedule and adjust as necessary,” Turner said. “We’re actively looking at those acquisition timelines and what we can do to ensure on-time delivery.”