In remarks delivered on August 27 during an event organized by the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies, a senior U.S. Air Force official stated that the service will soon test the new radar that will equip its B-52 strategic bombers. This would mean that the hurdle posed earlier this year by the congressional notification of cost overruns associated with the project has been overcome. The official in question is Lieutenant General Andrew J. Gebara, who serves as Deputy Chief of Staff for Strategic Deterrence and Nuclear Integration, and who also shared the latest updates regarding the new B-21 Raider stealth bombers.
Quoting some of Lieutenant General Gebara’s own statements: “I think we are very close to bringing the first radar to Edwards Air Force Base to begin flight testing. I don’t have a specific date to share today, but I believe we are moving forward, and as a former B-52 pilot, I am very eager to see it in action (…) We are buying a radar that is basically an F/A-18 Hornet radar with some small modifications. We did that intentionally because it was what was available on the market at the time. In fact, it would have cost us more if we had asked to design a new radar.”
In this regard, it is worth recalling that replacing the aging AN/APQ-166 analog radars is a key part of the aircraft modernization program, as the U.S. Air Force considers the system obsolete and prone to technical issues. The service’s intention is to incorporate the more modern AN/APQ-188 radars, which are produced by Raytheon. Recently, speculation arose that the USAF might move forward with the acquisition of a different radar, a rumor that gained strength after the publication of a request for information from manufacturers offering more advanced alternatives; however, this was ultimately dismissed.
According to analyses from local sources, this decision is linked to the fact that the project was already compromised by non-compliance with the Nunn-McCurdy Act, which regulates cost increases in U.S. military programs. Specifically, the law stipulates that if the price exceeds its original estimate by more than 15%, the service must submit a report to Congress detailing the causes. If the increase reaches 25%, it is considered a critical issue requiring a special request from the Pentagon to continue, otherwise leading to program cancellation.
With this in mind, it should be noted that the modernization of the B-52 radars was classified as a significant breach, though not at the critical level. This allowed work to continue, albeit with adjustments to the original expectations. General Gebara explained it as follows: “That said, it doesn’t mean we need everything that the Hornet has in that radar, right? We have a minimum number of things that we must do to be able to carry out our mission with the B-52. So part of the savings came from analyzing what those things were, to make sure we prioritized our valuable money on things we need, and not on good ideas or things we want or the like.”
Finally, it is also important to mention that the broader modernization of the B-52 has encountered several other challenges related to cost increases, design flaws, and schedule delays, which can be exemplified by the case of its engines. Expanding on this point, it should be noted that the Government Accountability Office (GAO) reported in June that problems identified in the design of the air intake system forced the Air Force to postpone the critical design review until next April — at least 10 months later than planned.
Images used for illustrative purposes only
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