Boeing kicks off US Air Force B-52 bomber radar upgrade
Boeing has begun low-rate initial production of the new radar system for operational testing and evaluation. (Photo: US DoD)
The radar upgrade is part of the wider B-52 modernisation programme that aims to keep the Stratofortress in the air until 2050 and beyond.
Boeing has received the first USAF B-52 Stratofortress to begin upgrades as part of the Radar Modernization Program (RMP).
The company said the programme will give the heavy bomber ‘fighter-like’ radar capabilities by increasing navigation accuracy, targeting and tracking.
The new radar system will also provide new, high-resolution mapping and will be able to engage multiple targets simultaneously.
‘The B-52 brings unique, critical capabilities to the US Air Force as they move to a future two-bomber platform strategy,’ said Jennifer Wong, director of bomber programmes at Boeing.
‘By modernising the B-52 radar, we’re increasing the relevancy of the aircraft for
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