B-52 Fleet Gets $766M in Radar Upgrades Amid Delays
The US Air Force has awarded contracts worth up to $766 million for the B-52 Radar Modernization Program, which aims to replace the aging AN/APQ-166 analogue radar with a new active electronically scanned array (AESA) derived from fighter radars.
The program has been plagued by delays and cost overruns, with flight testing originally meant to begin in 2024 slipping to 2026. The reported total program cost has climbed to around $2.58 billion, and the Air Force has scaled back some of the capability it originally wanted from the radar to hold costs down.
Raytheon won a contract worth up to $603 million for production and sustainment of the AN/APQ-188 across the B-52 fleet, while Boeing received a delivery order worth up to $162.97 million for bomb rack modernization kits.
The new radar will significantly increase the B-52's mission effectiveness by improving situational awareness and speeding target prosecution, according to Troy Dawson, Vice President of Boeing Bombers.