Newer High-Resolution Mapping and Tracking Coming to a Stratofortress Near You

Boeing has received the first aircraft for modification under the Radar Modernization Program (RMP).

The RMP project will provide B-52 pilots with more “fighter-like” radar capabilities, granting the aged bomber a level of navigation accuracy, targeting and tracking seen in aircraft half, a third, or even a fifth of its age. The improved radar suite will serve multiple functions, with high-resolution mapping and terrain analysis enhancing flight safety for every flight going forward. The change will, of course, also enhance targeting capability, allowing B-52s to engage multiple targets simultaneously.

“The B-52 brings unique, critical capabilities to the U.S. Air Force as they move to a future two-bomber platform strategy,” said Jennifer Wong, director of Bomber Programs. “By modernizing the B-52 radar, we’re increasing the relevancy of the aircraft for the warfighter for close air support or strategic attack.”

After passing the program’s Critical Design Review, Boeing put the RMP suite into low-rate initial production for operational test and evaluation. Work on B-52 modernization will take place at two Boeing sites, Oklahoma City and San Antonio, Texas. The modification will provide a wide-band radome on the aircraft’s nose; with the flight deck seeing the addition of high-definition, touch-screen, large area displays. New hand controllers and an AESA radar will round out the biggest differences seen by flight crews, with the rest of the RMP package consisting of less visible equipment ‘under the hood’.

The B-52 Stratofortress has made a name for itself as an enduring (aged, to the cynical) emblem of American air power, straddling the eras with an enduring set of attributes that has seen it remain in service even after the better part of a century (71 years in 2023). Even more surprising, continued upgrades like the RMP and re-engining will keep it flying pretty far into the future, with current estimates projecting active-duty B-52s through 2050. With the usual squishiness inherent to military program deadlines, there’s a nonzero chance the Stratofortress could somehow soldier on all the way to a full century of duty. 

FMI: www.boeing.com