Commercial Engine Replacement Program Could Reach Engineering & Manufacturing Phase by in Q4 FY 2023

Rolls-Royce and Boeing have been tapped in to provide a major B-52 engine upgrade that will keep the 76-strong Stratofortress fleet going into 2050 - and beyond. 

Despite the exciting advances with the B-21 Raider, the B-52 fleet remains one of the mainstays of American bomber capability, slotting in below the high-tech, low-visibility Raider as a high-volume ordnance lobber. Someday, the USAF plans to retire the last of its aged B-1 Lancers, as well as its B-2 Spirits, anticipating a phase-out in the 2030s to slim the strategic fleet down to the B-52 and B-21. That good ol' high-low strategy should allow the force to streamline maintenance and costs in the bomber fleet while maintaining - even improving - its tactical capability. Time is running out, with their original TF33 engines nearing the end of their life spans in the coming years. Should the program trip, it could lead to more than a few bombers sitting on the runway for quite a while.

The revamped B-52s will obtain new Boeing engines under the $2.6 billion Commercial Engine Replacement Program, which will help to extend the Stratofortress fleet's life cycle to nearly 100 years in total. Included in the deal will be the development of the engines, establishing overhaul locations, and assistance with the Air Force Global Strike Command to eliminate capability gaps as engines are swapped out. So far the program is running on schedule, recently completing its preliminary design review for the Commercial Engine Replacement Program, with a Milestone B review coming up to mark completion of its "technology maturation phase". If it passes, the program will begin the engineering and manufacturing development phase in the 4th quarter of fiscal year 2023.

Brigadier General William Rogers, the program executive officer for the Bombers Directorate at the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, gave a peek into the process in a recent interview. In it, he portrayed a well-maintained program that's aiming to minimize operational disruption in the fleet. When asked whether the re-engine process could occur alongside regularly scheduled depot maintenance, Rogers said that the depot at Oklahoma's Tinker Air Force Base would be the first choice, but didn't rule out other contractors and civilians if their services are needed to get the job done. 

"Because with the B-52," he said, "there’s a radar modernization program, there’s the re-engining, there are many other modifications and upgrades that we’re doing, and we’re trying to make sure everything aligns. Our preferred choice is to go through the depot, but we also have other fallback plans, like ordering contractor installation if the depot doesn’t have the bandwidth."

"We’re not just looking at giving it to Boeing," he added, curbing any expectations of a guaranteed contract for the company. "We’ll look at a variety of options. That’s something we’re working as part of our acquisition strategy. We would like to have a solid feeling [on the plan] by the end of FY23."

FMI: www.af.mil