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B-52J CERP Critical Design Review
The B-52J Commercial Engine Replacement Program (CERP) recently held its Critical Design Review (CDR), a pivotal milestone that enables the modification of two B-52 aircraft with new engines.
The program, managed by the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center’s Bombers Directorate with support from the Propulsion Directorate, is a massive undertaking to replace the iconic bomber’s original 1960s-era TF33 engines. This effort is crucial for keeping the B-52 Stratofortress a formidable asset in the nation’s long range strike arsenal through 2050 and beyond.
The CDR is a comprehensive technical assessment where independent experts from the Air Force, Boeing, and Rolls-Royce scrutinize the complete system design to ensure it meets all warfighter and technical requirements before major modification work begins.
“This CERP critical design review is the culmination of an enormous amount of engineering and integration work from Boeing, Rolls Royce, and the Air Force that will enable the B-52J to remain in the fight for future generations,” said Lt. Col. Tim Cleaver, Bombers Directorate CERP Program Manager, in a US Air Force (USAF) news release.
He described the CDR as a pivotal moment for the program.
“It’s that point that you go from having a concept turned into a design, to then turning that design into something physical—something that we will test and field for Air Force Global Strike Command,” Cleaver stated.
Modification of two B-52s with new engines
With the design now finalized, the program is rapidly moving toward aircraft modification. Boeing, the prime contractor for integration, is procuring and manufacturing parts, and will begin modifying the first two B-52H aircraft into the B-52J configuration at its facility in San Antonio, Texas.
The first bomber is scheduled to arrive for modification later this year.
The modernization effort centers on replacing the TF33 engines with fuel-efficient F130 engines, manufactured by Rolls-Royce. The upgrade also includes new subsystems, such as a modern generator for each engine, which will significantly increase the aircraft’s electrical power capacity to support future capabilities.
The review marks the conclusion of years of detailed design work and a series of “dry runs” between the Air Force and its industry partners to ensure all issues were addressed ahead of the formal review. According to Cleaver, this collaborative process was essential to preventing surprises and ensuring the design is as robust as possible.
Following this initial work, the two modified B-52J test aircraft will undergo extensive testing at Edwards AFB, California to validate the new systems. Once testing is complete, the program will move toward modifying the remainder of the B-52H fleet.
AESA radar
Rolls-Royce will manufacture, assemble, and test the F130 engine in Indianapolis, Rolls-Royce’s largest production facility in the US Rolls-Royce has invested more than $1.5 billion in the U.S. over the last decade, including modernizing Indianapolis facilities to deliver innovation and advanced manufacturing to the Air Force and other customers with American labor.
Besides the new Rolls-Royce F130 engines, the BUFF will receive a new radar in the form of the new APG-79B4 active, electronically scanned array radar (AESA).
As the USAF migrates toward the two-bomber fleet of B-21s and B-52s the new AESA radar is a “game changer” for the BUFF. The APG-79 is effectively the same radar as on the export version of the Navy F/A-18 fighter, with the array turned “upside down” so it looks more down at the ground than up at the sky.
The APG-79 will be a fighter-quality radar and will be used not only to support air-to-ground operations but will also be better able to operate with other coalition partners because the bomber will be able to use the same sensor format. It will be able to scan farther, guide weapons in flight, and improve the bomber’s situational awareness. The B-52 today is still flying with its 1960s mechanical-scan radar.
As already reported, flight testing with the new radar started earlier this month, and the first production versions should be built around the same time. They’ll be installed in early 2027 and initial operational capability (IOC) with the radar will consist of 12 aircraft as the required assets available for the declaration.
The USAF expects B-52Js with both new engines and new radars to be available for operational use before the end of the decade.
Photo credit: Boeing
