The United States Air Force’s fleet of Boeing B-52 Stratofortress continues to be upgraded and enhanced to keep the aircraft flying well into the 2040s and beyond. However, its largest is now running a bit beyond schedule.

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) warned in its Weapons Systems Assessment, published earlier this month, that the B-52 Radar Modernization Program (B-52 RMP) may not be completed until the end of 2030, at least three years behind schedule.

According to the Pentagon, the B-52 RMP will replace the legacy APQ-166 radar, which has been determined to be increasingly unstable, with a modified version of the more advanced and capable APG-79 Bomber Modernized Radar System.

“Replacement of the aging legacy radar is intended to increase system reliability and reduce sustainment costs. The Bomber Modernized Radar System will also provide new high-resolution ground mapping capabilities to improve target location accuracy and capabilities to track moving surface and air targets,” a 2023 B-52 RMP report explained.

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