Overview
- A joint Rolls-Royce and U.S. Air Force campaign at AEDC in Tennessee validated engine performance, including distortion-screen operability trials and Integrated Drive Generator checks with Boeing.
- USAF program manager Lt. Col. Timothy Cleaver said data across the full flight envelope supports proceeding to modify test aircraft for flight trials.
- Initial flight‑test engine builds are underway with deliveries targeted for 2027, and two B‑52s are expected to support the flight‑test campaign, pending integration work.
- Next steps include further system integration and dual‑pod testing at NASA’s Stennis Space Center to de‑risk installation in the bomber’s twin‑engine nacelles.
- The F130, a BR725‑derived engine produced and tested in Indianapolis, will replace TF33s on 76 aircraft as part of the B‑52J upgrade alongside a new AESA radar, with CERP initial operational capability now planned for 2033 and modernization pacing complicated by the small fleet’s readiness demands.