Report: B-52 Modernization Program Faces Key Hurdles

Efforts to keep the U.S. Air Force bombers flying into the 2050s are running into cost and schedule concerns.

Jack Daleo

Wednesday, August 05, 2026 at 10:00 AM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Travis Tingle

A B-52H Stratofortress, assigned to the 23rd Expeditionary Bomb Squadron, taxis on the flight line at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, in 2024. [Credit: U.S. Air Force]

Key Takeaways:

The U.S. Air Force's B-52 bomber modernization program faces significant issues, with 10 out of 13 projects experiencing cost overruns, schedule delays, or performance problems, as reported by the GAO.
The two most critical programs, the engine replacement (CERP) and radar modernization (RMP), account for 88% of the $21 billion budget and are suffering from substantial cost increases (38% and 30% respectively) and multi-year delays.
These challenges risk the B-52's ability to meet future operational requirements, potentially leading to too few aircraft despite its continued role as a vital, nuclear-capable asset in the Air Force.
The GAO recommends the Air Force reassess development risks, utilize digital engineering tools, and address maintenance and capacity issues to mitigate further delays and complications.

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The U.S. Air Force faces cost overruns, schedule delays, or performance issues for the majority of its 13 programs aimed at modernizing the B-52 bomber, according to the Government Accountability Office (GAO).

Researchers found that 10 projects face at least one of these issues, including those aimed at upgrading the B-52’s engines and radar, which are contending with all three. According to GAO, the engine and radar efforts have an estimated price tag of $18 million, or about 88 percent of the $21 billion the Air Force is spending on modernization. They are also the most time-intensive aspects of the program, it said.