‘No fail’: Air Force officials spotlight cost jumps, delays for B-52 bomber modernization
The pricetag to put new engines on the decades-old bomber has jumped from $12.5 billion to $15 billion, while an effort to integrate a new radar has climbed to $3.3 billion from an original forecast of $2.3 billion, service officials revealed.
By Michael Marrow
on August 01, 2024 at 1:09 PM
A U.S. Air Force B-52H Stratofortress assigned to the 5th Bomb Wing at Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota, flies alongside a KC-10 Extender assigned to the 305th Air Mobility Wing, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., after receiving fuel, Jan. 6, 2021. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Stephanie Serrano)
DAYTON, Ohio — Air Force officials recently revealed new details about schedule delays and rising costs related to the service’s multi-billion dollar effort to modernize its long-range B-52 Stratofortress bombers, complications that prompted the service to bring on a seasoned negotiator to sharpen discussions with prime contractor Boeing.
Endeavoring to keep the 1950s-era bomber flying into the 2060s, the Air Force is upgrading the plane’s engines and radar under two separate efforts respectively dubbed the Commercial Engine Replacement Program (CERP) and the Radar Modernization Program (RMP). But according to officials at the Lifecycle Industry Days Conference here, schedules have been slipping and costs have been growing for both efforts.
“It’s really a no-fail mission, the strategic importance of both the B-52” and the forthcoming B-21 Raider, Air Force Program Executive Officer for Bombers, Brig. Gen. Erik Quigley, said of long-range strike capabilities that both platforms bring. Boeing did not respond to a request for comment by press time.
https://breakingdefense.com/2024/08/no-fail-air-force-officials-spotlight-cost-jumps-delays-for-b-52-bomber-modernization/
