Overview
- The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, which announced Monday that the engine program passed its Critical Design Review, said Boeing can now start converting two B-52H bombers to the B-52J later in 2026.
- The upgrades replace 1960s Pratt & Whitney TF33 engines with Rolls-Royce F130 turbofans and add new generators to increase the aircraft’s electrical power for future sensors and systems.
- After modification at Boeing’s San Antonio site, the two test aircraft will move to Edwards Air Force Base for a thorough flight-test campaign before the rest of the fleet is modified.
- Rolls-Royce completed the F130’s own design review in late 2024 and finished altitude and operability testing in early 2026, which supports building engines for flight testing.
- Program funding is in place, with a 2021 F130 award to Rolls-Royce and Boeing task orders in December 2025, and the re-engining effort is projected to cost about $15 billion.