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B-52J Stratofortress

B-52 Commercial Engine Replacement Program (B-52 CERP) plans to support nuclear and conventional operations by replacing the aircraft’s engine with military-configured commercial engines. With initial operational capability in mid-fiscal year 2033, the Air Force plans for continued B-52H operations through the year 2050. . Along with the new engines, the B-52 CERP will replace associated subsystems, such as engine struts, the electrical power generation system, and cockpit displays for the B-52H fleet. Although the B-52 is the oldest of all bombers, it is not a “legacy platform.” It will remain viable until “at least” 2050, and the B-52J will be very different from earlier models. The Air Force is updating everything - new radar, engines, upgraded communications and datalink capabilities, and the upgraded B-52J will be more easily sustained, maintained and adaptable to future threats. This upgrade will increase fuel efficiency and electrical power generation capacity and provide modern digital engine controls and displays.

The B-52 Program Office initiated a B-52 modernization program integration working group to review options for aligning the B-52 CERP development and modification program with other major B-52 modernization programs. The effort is intended to identify potential test resource and fleet modification program efficiencies to minimize impact on B-52 operational availability. The Air Force developed a traditional production and fleet modification strategy for the remaining 74 B-52 aircraft. This strategy includes production of 11 LRIP aircraft to support the final phase of system development testing and IOT&E. The remaining 63 aircraft would be modified in 6 FRP lots. The Air Force continues to evaluate options to accelerate production and fielding, including the potential use of the MTA rapid fielding pathway.

At Air Force Acquisition Executive direction, the program is transitioning to the Major Capability Acquisition [MCA] pathway with a planned Milestone B decision in FY24. The proposed acquisition strategy extends system development until FY31 to better integrate with preceding modernization upgrades, to include the radar modernization and communication system upgrades, along with ongoing aircraft sustainment programs. The proposed program schedule includes system-level Critical Design Review in FY25 followed by modification of two test aircraft. Developmental and integrated flight testing would begin in FY28 leading to IOT&E in FY31.

In December 2023, B-52 CERP transitioned from the MTA pathway to the MCA pathway. The transition from the former effort, known as the B-52 CERP rapid virtual prototype, occurred prior to the start of system development. Although the program transitioned pathways, officials stated that the development contract would still not be awarded until completion of the critical design review, now planned for August 2025, nearly 2 years later than previously planned. In the meantime, officials stated that they plan to complete design work under an extension to the virtual prototyping contract.

Delays to critical design are a result of underestimating the level of funding needed to complete the detailed design activities. Specifically, as the B-52 prototyping effort was extended from preliminary design to critical design, program officials received a proposal for the detailed design work. Program officials stated that the proposal cost exceeded the program’s available funding, and that they asked Boeing to slow its level of work to align with available funding. They also noted that an associated materials contract could not be awarded, causing additional delays.

Extending the service life of the B-52 is becoming more and more expensive. In particular, the latest estimate for the B-52 engine replacement program has grown to $15 billion, which is $2.5 billion more than the initial estimate. In addition, according to a report by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), the engine replacement program is already three years behind schedule.

The delays were mainly caused by the Air Force upgrading the B-52 re-engine program from medium to high priority. Boeing management responded to this by ... increasing the cost of the program. As a result, according to senior Air Force officials, it has become “simply unaffordable” for the Customer. An additional delay was caused by the need to redesign the engine air intake. This, in turn, required additional wind tunnel tests, and their “rental” time is scheduled quite strictly.

Electronics engineers are not far behind the engine specialists. The latest estimates for the cost of replacing the B-52 radar have jumped from $2.3 billion to $3.3 billion. This brings the radar replacement program closer to a critical cost overrun, the so-called “Nunn-McCurdy violation.” The consequence could be a tedious procedure for justifying the cost overrun, and ultimately funding could be cut off altogether.

Nevertheless, the Air Force is still refining the estimates for the upgrade cost and is waiting for proposals (with reduced costs) from Boeing, the prime contractor for the program. The military, for its part, is also ready to review the requirements for the radar and engines in the direction of softening.

B-52 Commercial Engine Replacement Program (B-52 CERP)

The B-52 CERP plans to support nuclear and conventional operations by replacing the aircraft’s engine with military-configured commercial engines. Along with the new engines, the B-52 CERP will replace associated subsystems, such as engine struts, the electrical power generation system, and cockpit displays for the B-52H fleet. In December 2023, B-52 CERP transitioned from the MTA pathway to the MCA pathway. The transition from the former effort, known as the B-52 CERP rapid virtual prototype, occurred prior to the start of system development.

Performance Characteristics for this program are Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI). The B-52 Commercial Engine Replacement Program (CERP) supports nuclear and conventional operations by replacing the current TF33-PW-103 engine on the B-52H aircraft. The TF33-PW-103 engine is increasingly difficult to sustain due to diminished manufacturing sources and obsolescent technologies; the Air Force Propulsion Directorate projects the engine will become unsustainable by 2030. This sustainment program will replace the current TF33-PW-103 engine with new military derivative commercial Rolls-Royce F130 engines of similar size, weight, and thrust characteristics. Along with the new engines, CERP will replace associated subsystems, such as engine struts and nacelles, the electrical power generation system, and cockpit displays. The development, production, and installation of new engines and related subsystems will replace the legacy equipment on all 76 B-52H aircraft.

The CERP modified aircraft will be designated as B-52J. B-52 CERP will take advantage of advances in technology and ongoing development efforts to acquire engines and integrate them into the B-52. The use of new technology will increase both the overall reliability/maintainability of the propulsion system and produce additional electrical power generation capabilities for emerging requirements. The B-52 CERP will allow the operational command (Air Force Global Strike Command) to fully utilize the capabilities of the B-52J aircraft to employ an array of nuclear and conventional weapons while saving fuel and extending the range/loiter capabilities of the aircraft. In addition, applicable training devices must also be developed, modified and/or upgraded in conjunction with the aircraft modifications. This upgrade will also require the corresponding modification of a B-52 Weapon System Trainer. As CERP brings the additional capability to the B-52, emerging security/certification requirements (nuclear hardening, cyber security, program protection, etc.) will also need to be addressed.

The Air Force formally designated B-52 CERP as a rapid prototyping MTA program in September 2018, leading to acquisition of approximately 650 engines to modify and support the 76-aircraft B-52 fleet. The Air Force implemented a government-led engine source selection strategy coupled with a prime contractor-led integration program. Primary engine competitors include General Electric, Rolls Royce, and Pratt & Whitney with final selection planned in June 2021.

The FY 2022 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) established an original baseline estimate for CERP set to the FY 2020 program estimate. This was prior to the program completing the Preliminary Design Review (PDR) and Milestone B projected for FY 2023. Establishing a cost baseline before PDR adds risk to the program as the baseline estimate is not based on an established allocated baseline system design, which could create future program issues. The program plans to establish the Acquisition Program Baseline (APB) and associated program certification in accordance with Title 10 United States Code Section 4252 at Milestone B, planned in the fourth quarter of FY 2023. The Baseline estimate used for the Current and Original APB in this program's SAR reflect the FY 2020 Program Office Estimate (POE) per the FY 2022 NDAA; values will be updated at Milestone B.

Rapid Prototype Material contracts 0 and 1 (RPM0, RPM1) were awarded by the program as undefinitized contract actions in March and October 2021, respectively, for the development and delivery of long-lead material to support the test aircraft. The program was unable to definitize these contracts as expected in CY 2022 due to difficulties encountered (e.g. extended evaluation of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, major commercial subcontractors due to lack of other-than-certified data, and proposal update delays).

The program received updated rate recommendations from the Defense Contract Management Agency and expects to definitize RPM0 in the fourth quarter of FY2023 and RPM1 in the third quarter of FY 2023. The program achieved a major event in CY 2022 by conducting the System Preliminary Design Review (PDR) in October 2022. The System PDR was preceded by a series of component and subsystem PDRs. The program adjudicated action items from PDR and formally entered critical design in March 2023.

Integrated test and evaluation continued with system performance testing. CERP completed High-Speed Wind Tunnel testing at the Boeing Transonic Wind Tunnel in Seattle on July 19, 2022. The data from this testing would be used to further refine and substantiate the High-Speed Computational Fluid Dynamics model. CERP also completed Low-Speed Wind Tunnel testing on September 2, 2022, at the QinetiQ Five Metre Wind Tunnel in Farnborough, England. Data from this testing allowed the program to successfully evaluate mitigation options for buffet, stall, and maximum coefficient of lift issues. Data recorded is feeding aerodynamics analyses to determine specific impacts of the CERP modification. The Rapid Twin Pod Test (RTPT) began at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Stennis Space Center in Mississippi in December 2022 and will run through April 2023. The objective of the RTPT is to conduct early risk reduction testing to inform key integration decisions. All Build 1 test objectives, including running both engines simultaneously, were completed successfully as scheduled.

In FY 2019, B-52 CERP received a $2.6M Congressional mark due to the delayed new start. In FY 2020, Congress rescinded $10M based on funding execution. In FY 2021, Congress marked B-52 CERP $25.5M with the rationale of "excess to need." In FY 2022, Congress marked B-52 CERP $55M due to the Rapid Prototyping Material Contract delay. In FY 2023, Congress marked B-52 CERP $16.3M due to under-execution. The program has made adjustments to align execution with funding changes due to marks.

The B-52 System Program Manager requested approval from the Senior Acquisition Executive (SAE) to adapt the Acquisition Strategy (AS) and plan to transition the program to a Major Capability Acquisition (MCA) effort at Milestone B before the completion of the current Rapid Virtual Prototype (RVP) Middle Tier Acquisition (MTA). The SAE approved the transition to an MCA pathway and documented the decision in an Acquisition Decision Memorandum, dated March 29, 2022. The Air Force revised its B-52 CERP acquisition strategy and extended the B-52 CERP rapid prototyping effort by more than a year to enable transition to the MCA pathway. B-52 CERP updated the AS and developed Milestone B entrance criteria in March 2023. In December 2023, the program received Air Force approval to transition to the MCA pathway. Although the program transitioned pathways, officials stated that the development contract would still not be awarded until completion of the critical design review, planned for August 2025, nearly 2 years later than previously planned. In the meantime, officials stated that they plan to complete design work under an extension to the virtual prototyping contract.

According to program officials, delays to critical design are a result of underestimating the level of funding needed to complete the detailed design activities. Specifically, as the B-52 prototyping effort was extended from preliminary design to critical design, program officials received a proposal for the detailed design work. Program officials stated that the proposal cost exceeded the program’s available funding, and that they asked Boeing to slow its level of work to align with available funding. They also noted that an associated materials contract could not be awarded, causing additional delays.

While the program office stated that it is not using iterative development for its engine replacement effort, the program is employing some practices in line with leading practices for product development. For example, we previously found that leading companies repeatedly obtain feedback from users to ensure the product specifications meet user needs. Leading companies also collect user feedback after delivery of the first iteration to identify new features to include in subsequent iterations or new products. As part of the B-52 CERP MTA effort, the program solicited feedback from end users, including pilots and maintainers, during design and development of the virtual prototype. Program officials noted that this feedback led to design changes, such as a redesign of service panel hinges to improve maintainer access. As we previously found, collaboration with a wide range of stakeholders—such as users, engineers, and manufacturers— helps leading companies identify potential problems early.

However, the program does not plan to conduct integrated, systems-level testing in an operational environment prior to production, which could provide additional knowledge into how key systems will perform and reduce production risk. Our prior work found that conducting fully integrated testing prior to production allows users to verify performance and can uncover problems that were not apparent when subsystems were tested earlier. Specifically, the program plans to begin flight testing a production representative prototype with users about 6 months after the first low-rate initial production decision. Officials stated that this approach presents cost risk, but they are willing to trade off cost risk in order to maintain schedule. They stated that component and lab testing will allow them to mitigate technical risks prior to the first production decision.

Additionally, they stated that they are managing risk by implementing decision points for each lot, to allow decision-makers additional opportunities to evaluate hardware maturity and production readiness. Even so, our prior work has shown that leading companies rely on prototyping results to help assess whether the product will remain within expected cost and schedule parameters, and whether the product will still meet user needs. Without this testing, the program faces increased risk of costly and timeintensive design changes and retrofits if issues are discovered in flight testing.

Software coding began in November 2022 with the initial software deliveries expected to occur in late fiscal year 2024, according to program officials. The program’s cybersecurity strategy was approved in July 2023 and the program plans to hold a cybersecurity tabletop exercise in April 2024. Program officials stated that they utilized direct hiring authorities and offered hiring bonuses to mitigate software workforce staffing challenges. Program officials noted that Boeing was also experiencing staffing challenges with its software workforce.

During the proposal evaluation of the PDR to CDR transition contract modification, the program identified budget constraints in FY 2023 and FY 2024. As a result, the program extended the development schedule by one year to fit within the FY 2023 and FY 2024 President's Budget. The program is assessing cost and funding constraints in future years. The certification at Milestone B and the associated APB will establish the cost, schedule, and affordability baseline.

Risks reported in previous SAR have been mitigated or realized. The CERP Baseline risk is now being handled as an issue, and the program has taken action to procure two Radar Modernization Program kits and install them on the two test aircraft during the CERP modification. The Cybersecurity risk was mitigated by flowing down requirements to all the suppliers and requesting their impacts. No significant cost/schedule impacts were identified due to the cyber requirements. The Total Program Schedule risk was accepted because of schedule re-baseline activities.

The program is actively mitigating and/or monitoring the following key risks: Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD) aircraft modification timeline, wing leading edge ignition potential due to Auxiliary Start Air Start Unit discharge temperature, and engine fan flutter. If the elevated bleed air temperatures introduced by the Auxiliary Start Air Unit and potentially from the external air carts can’t be reduced, then these elevated air temperatures may reduce the level of safety in the wing leading edge resulting in cost and schedule impacts. If engine fan flutter is detected during full scale dual engine pod testing, then additional effort will be required to incorporate an inlet flutter liner and/or define and implement keep out zones and/or adjust the nozzle design.

F130 engines have been selected by the United States Air Force to re-engine the iconic B-52 aircraft fleet. The F130 engines for B-52 will be manufactured in the company’s facilities in Indianapolis in the US. Rolls-Royce announced 07 September 2023 that it was on track to complete initial F130 engine testing for the United States Air Force B-52J Stratofortress by the end of the year. Continued Rapid Twin Pod Tests at NASA Stennis Space Center in Mississippi have accomplished all of Rolls-Royce’s initial goals and allowed for the gathering of unprecedented amounts of data early in the program, further de-risking the integration of the F130 engine onto the B-52J. As testing continues throughout the year, Rolls-Royce is on track for Critical Design Review to begin in the first quarter of 2024. Rolls-Royce’s supply chain and assembly are also on schedule to deliver ground and flight test engines on time in 2024 through 2026.

B-52 Radar Modernization Program (B-52 RMP)

Air Force’s B-52 RMP plans to replace the current APQ-166 radar on all 76 B-52 aircraft with a modern off-the-shelf Active Electronically Scanned Array radar. The new radar is expected to provide improved functionality and reliability to support both nuclear and conventional B-52 missions while allowing for mission-essential aircraft navigation and weather avoidance. The Air Force plans for continued B-52 operations through the year 2050. B-52 RMP reported it has no critical technologies. According to program officials, all planned technologies are fully mature because the program is using off-the-shelf components.

The program has met one key practice for design stability— releasing at least 90 percent of design drawings—but not the second practice, testing a system-level integrated prototype. The program considers integration testing to be one of its top risks. Previously, the program stated that it was not performing a test of a system-level integrated prototype. This year, it stated that it plans to conduct this test in 2024—well after the program’s 2022 critical design review. It also noted that it has already tested prototypes of some components. Our prior work has shown that testing a system-level integrated prototype before critical design review helps demonstrate that a system’s design meets requirements.

B-52J Megafortress

Dale Brown novels have used various modified variants of the B-52 Stratofortress. The Megafortress first appeared in Dale Brown's Flight of the Old Dog and is expanded and upgraded in all his later books. In Flight of the Old Dog, the first book in the series, the aircraft is designated the B-52I Megafortress. B-52M Megafortress Plus is later introduced in Day of the Cheetah and the EB-52 designation is first used in Sky Masters.

In the 2012 timeframe, the B-52J designation was associated with a conversion of some -H models to the Stand Off Jammer platform, "J" indicating jammer, though other sources report the B-52 jammer variant as the EB-52. Presumably the "I" suffix might be skipped because of the potential confustion between the letter "I" and the numerical "1".

According to Aviation Week on 24 August 2018, the USAF has briefed industry representatives at Tinker AFB about a proposed update to the remaining H fleet. The update would be known as the J model. The updates would include a defensive system and avionics modernization, new ejection seats, targeting pod relocation, crash survivable flight data recorder and weapons system trainer. The proposal was unclear if the re-engine program would fall under the J upgrade.

Col Mike “Starbaby” Pietrucha in December 2015 floated the B-52J designator to describe an aircraft peforming " standoff roles, using longer-range weapons capabilities to strike from a distance.... the massive wing of the B-52, which allows for large fuel storage, external weapons carriage, and unmatched high altitude performance. A modernized B-52 would improve on the airplane’s basic attributes to better meet these standoff requirements. The objectives of a whole-aircraft modernization would be to extend the service life of the aircraft and adjust to the advances made by adversary systems since the initial design. Under the J proposal, the refitted bombers would receive several upgrades:

• A replacement of the ageing TF-33 turbofans with modern, low-maintenance turbofans derived from regional jet designs
• Installation of a modern AESA radar to provide broad area maritime surveillance, ship identification, situational awareness and standoff weapons employment
• Weapons certification upgrade, including JDAM-ER, JASSM-ER, Standard Missile derivatives and antiship weapons
• Certification of NASA’s 25,000-lb. Aerospace Vehicle Pylon as an option in place of Heavy Stores Adapter Beam for Pegasus derivatives.
• Upgrade of communication systems to include Link-16, Iridium, BLOS communications and to provide the baseline for integration into Navy Integrated Fire Control (NIFC).
• Modernization of ESM and EA systems to provide both passive detection and self-projection jamming against the threats capable of addressing a stand-off platform
• Aircraft upgrades, including improved cooling, high-capacity electrical generation, glass cockpit, addition of an APU, removal of excess weight and RVSM compatibility
• Upper Wing Skin replacement (if necessary)

The B-1B’s mission capable rate hovered at levels too low to make the aircraft a reliable warfighting platform. The B-2’s sortie rate is extremely low, although the remaining 20 aircraft fill a very special niche. The B-52 is likely to remain the backbone of the bomber force, ".