GAO report finds B-52J upgrade $3 billion over budget, five years behind schedule
This digest was compiled by AI from multiple sources — links to the originals are below.
The Government Accountability Office reports the Boeing B-52J upgrade program is $3 billion over budget and five years behind schedule. The Air Force now expects Initial Operating Capability in 2033, with total modernization costs reaching $21 billion. The Raytheon AN/APQ-188 radar accounts for 30% of the cost growth and is a key driver of the delays.
Key Facts
- The B-52J upgrade program is now expected to reach Initial Operating Capability in 2033, five years later than originally planned.
- The program budget has risen by roughly 38%, with the total cost to upgrade 76 B-52H bombers to the J standard now at $21 billion.
- The Raytheon AN/APQ-188 radar accounts for 30% of the cost growth and has extended the radar retrofit timeline from five years to nine years.
- A B-52 crashed at Edwards Air Force Base on June 15 during a test flight for the new radar system, killing all eight crew members.
- The Commercial Engine Replacement Program consumes 74% of the total modernization budget at $15.4 billion.
Program Delays and Cost Growth
The Government Accountability Office report states that flight testing for the B-52J upgrade is expected to begin four years later than originally planned. The Department of Defense has not set a formal cost and schedule baseline due to a 32-month delay in the Milestone B declaration. The Air Force has only now begun an affordability study, which has not yet been completed. The B-52 fleet relies heavily on cannibalized parts from old airframes at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Arizona. The lack of available vendors to sustain the out-of-production bombers is a known obstacle to modernization.
Radar System Challenges
The Raytheon AN/APQ-188 radar is the primary source of program inflation, responsible for 30% of the cost growth. Since at least mid-2025, it has been known that the radar upgrade will take nearly 50% longer than originally estimated. The total time for the radar retrofit is now nine years instead of five years. A second B-52 is now being modified to carry the new Raytheon radar to resume testing after the June 15 crash.
Modernization Scope
The Commercial Engine Replacement Program will replace Pratt & Whitney TF33 engines with Rolls-Royce F130 engines. The engine replacement program consumes 74% of the total modernization budget at $15.4 billion. The obsolescence of airframes and onboard systems is the driving force behind retrofits to extend service life to 2050.
1 source
GAO report finds B-52J upgrade $3 billion over budget, five years behind schedule
