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In December 2022, the US Air Force introduced a new B-52 Raider stealth bomber, but the plans of the Air Force Command are to create an updated fleet, and the biggest changes, according to Defense News, are still ahead.
Now Rolls-Royce and Boeing are working on a major modernization of the B-52 Stratofortress bombers of the Cold War. It is planned to provide them with new engines and enable the B-52 to fly in the 2050s, along with the B-21. When the combined fleet of B-21 and B-52 bombers is ready, the US Air Force will complete the decommissioning of the remaining B-1 Lancer.
Air Brigadier General William Rogers currently holds the position of Executive Director of the Bomber Program at the Air Force Lifecycle Management Center. In fact, he is responsible for managing the life cycle of all American military aviation bombers.
As Rogers notes in an interview with Defense News, the Pentagon will consider various options regarding the modernization of the bomber fleet. By the end of fiscal year 2023, the military plans to get a clear idea of the future action plan.
One of the main tasks is to equip the B–52 aircraft with new engines. In this case, it is very important to organize the process in such a way that there are no "gaps" when the aircraft will be upgraded at enterprises and the number of combat-ready bomber aircraft will decrease. General Rogers notes that the Air Force specialists correctly calculated the time and timing of modernization, so such problems should not arise. The engine itself is designed, but other components are being developed anew to successfully integrate the engine with them.
Rogers noted the important role of digital technologies in the process of exploring further prospects for aircraft modernization. Digital technologies help to accurately simulate future changes, identify possible errors and set tasks differently, if necessary.
- General Rogers notes.
Therefore, the work on the modernization of the bombers is planned to be completed as quickly as possible. Many issues, according to the general, rest on finances. However, they will have to be solved in any case, since the strategic capabilities of the US Air Force largely depend on the fleet of bomber aircraft.
