US Air Force Awards Raytheon, Boeing $765 Million B-52 Upgrade Contracts

The US Air Force has awarded Raytheon and Boeing contracts worth up to $765.97 million for B-52 radar and weapon systems upgrades.

The work supports the planned B-52J configuration, which aims to keep the strategic bomber flying into the 2050s.

Raytheon received a $603 million indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity contract to produce and sustain AN/APQ-188 radars, which will replace the mechanically scanned AN/APQ-166 radar used on the B-52 since the late 1980s.

The new radar uses an active electronically scanned array and is designed to improve all-weather navigation, target detection, and tracking. It also aims to provide performance and maintenance characteristics comparable to the AN/APG-82(V)1 radar used by the F-15EX Eagle II.