A US Air Force B-52 Stratofortress has completed a ferry flight to Edwards Air Force Base in California following the installation of a new modernised radar, a key milestone in the bomber’s long-term upgrade programme.
The aircraft flew from Boeing’s facility in San Antonio on 8 December after receiving an Active Electronically Scanned Array radar as part of the B-52 Radar Modernisation Programme. Test crews from the 49th Test Evaluation Squadron at Barksdale Air Force Base and the 419th Flight Test Squadron at Edwards carried out the transfer.
Ground and flight testing will now take place throughout 2026, ahead of a decision later in the year on moving the upgrade into full production. The new radar replaces the B-52’s ageing legacy system, which has become increasingly difficult to sustain, and provides improved all-weather navigation and targeting capability. The radar has been developed by Raytheon Technologies and integrated by Boeing. Similar systems are already in service on US Air Force F-15s and US Navy F/A-18s, offering improved reliability and ease of maintenance compared with older mechanically scanned radars.
US Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink said the flight marked an important step in sustaining the bomber force. He said the upgrade would allow the B-52 to remain a central element of US airpower and operate alongside next-generation platforms in the decades ahead. The radar programme forms part of a broader effort to extend the service life of the 76-strong B-52 fleet through to at least 2050. Planned upgrades also include new engines, avionics, crew compartments, communications systems and weapons integration, allowing the aircraft to continue performing both conventional and nuclear long-range strike missions.
U.S. Air Force Chief of Staff General Ken Wilsbach said the programme was about readiness and deterrence as well as technology, adding that the B-52 would continue to play a central role in global strike operations. Despite first entering service more than 65 years ago, the B-52 remains a cornerstone of US strategic airpower. The successful ferry flight of the first aircraft fitted with the new radar underlines the Air Force’s intent to keep the bomber operational and relevant well into the future.
