The contract supports the replacement of the legacy TF33 engines with eight Rolls-Royce F130 engines on the upgraded B-52J bomber. Boeing will carry out system integration, modification and testing work on two B-52 aircraft fitted with the new engines and associated subsystems.
Work under the contract is scheduled for completion by 31 May 2033 and will take place across multiple locations, including Oklahoma City, San Antonio, Seattle and Indianapolis. The Commercial Engine Replacement Program forms part of a wider effort to upgrade all 76 B-52H Stratofortress aircraft to the B-52J configuration.
Alongside the engine replacement, the broader modernisation effort includes the B-52 Radar Modernization Program, which replaces the AN/APQ-166 radar with the AN/APQ-188 AESA radar derived from systems used on the F/A-18E/F and F-15 fleets. One aircraft fitted with the new radar was ferried to Edwards Air Force Base on 8 December 2025 for testing by units from Edwards and Barksdale Air Force Bases.
Together, the new engines and radar are intended to improve fuel efficiency, range, maintainability and sensor performance. The B-52J programme also includes structural and avionics upgrades designed to keep the bomber in service through 2050 as part of a future two-aircraft strategic bomber fleet alongside the B-21 Raider.
