B-52J Engine Redesign Clears Design Review on Schedule, Yet B-52 Upgrade Project Remains Delayed
Revamped and Unleashed: The B-52's Electrifying Transformation
The B-52's long-anticipated engine upgrade, the Rolls Royce F130, has cleared a significant hurdle, passing its Critical Design Review, and is now set to stride towards final development, testing, and production, as announced on Dec 13. Yet, the B-52J transformation, overseen by Boeing, remains approximately three years behind schedule.
This milestone is the culmination of over two years of meticulous collaboration between teams at Rolls-Royce, the Air Force, and Boeing, according to a Rolls press release. A spokesperson from Rolls stated that the Critical Design Review (CDR) was specifically conducted for the engine over the last few weeks.
"We're delivering exactly according to the Air Force's timeline, and the engine CDR on-time is just one of the many indicators of our dedicated team's hard work," the spokesperson added.
The B-52J overhaul encompasses a myriad of enhancements, such as new engines (F130), advanced AESA radar, internal wiring, a digital backbone, state-of-the-art communications, navigation, and numerous improvements, all integrating to modernize the aircraft and its capabilities. Despite the delays, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) estimates initial operational capability, initially slated for 2030, will now materialize in 2033. A critical design review for the overall upgrade project is tentatively scheduled for August 2025, as per the GAO's June report.
The delays in the B-52J upgrade stemmed from the Air Force underestimating the level of funding required to complete the detailed design for re-engining the aircraft, and additional challenges in the sequencing of needed materials and aspects of the program.
The F130 is based on Rolls' commercial BR725 powerplant and requires modification to be compatible with the B-52 and its twin-engine pods. The B-52 will retain its eight engines in four pods following the overall aircraft upgrade. The F130 engines power the C-37 and E-11 BACN (Battlefield Airborne Communications Node) in earlier versions.
Rolls secured the engine contract for the Commercial Engine Replacement Program back in 2021. The F130 will replace the Pratt & Whitney TF-33 engines, the original equipment for the B-52H, which were built in 1962. The engine upgrade will supply more power and range to the B-52, making its technology contemporary, effectively ending engine overhauls, and significantly reducing maintenance. Additionally, the bomber's new radars, borrowed from Boeing's F-15 and F/A-18 fighters, will also bring about a drastic reduction in maintenance. After the upgrade, the B-52J is projected to serve well into the 2050s.
"This year we've made substantial progress on our F130 testing program," a Rolls official declared. "From successfully completing Rapid Twin Pod Testing to support the B-52's unique nacelle configuration, to finishing the first phase of sea-level testing for the F130 First Engine to Test (FETT) in Indianapolis." Twin-pod tests were also carried out at NASA's Stennis Space Center in Mississippi.
"Testing at Stennis notably marked the first time F130 engines were tested in the dual-engine configuration. The testing focused on crosswind aerodynamic flow as well as confirming the successful operation of the engine's digital controls system. We wrapped up testing at Stennis this summer and collected an enormous amount of data to help further de-risk the integration of the F130 engine onto the B-52."
The next stage in preparing the engine for production will be altitude testing at USAF's Arnold Engineering Development Complex in Tullahoma, Tenn., set to begin in February 2025.
Rolls will manufacture the F130 engines at a purpose-built facility in Indianapolis, the company's largest U.S. facility. Following pre-production testing, all subsequent testing will be conducted there. Rolls plans to fabricate over 600 engines for the B-52 program.
Despite the advancements made, the B-52J upgrade faces challenges, including financial and technical hurdles, raising doubts about its viability and strategic relevance in the face of emerging systems like the B-21 Raider. These concerns demand careful consideration as the program continues to develop.
The air force's modernization of the B-52J involves integrating state-of-the-art technology, such as the F130 aircraft engines, advanced radars, and digital backbones. The timely completion of the Critical Design Review for the F130 engines testifies to the dedication of the collaborative teams at Rolls-Royce, the Air Force, and Boeing. However, the overall upgrade project is facing financial and technical challenges, as funding requirements for the engine replacement exceeded initial estimates, and additional hurdles in program sequencing have arisen.
