USAF weighs up concerns and contenders for B-52H engine replacement
A B-52H Stratofortress sits on the flightline on Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota. (Photo: USAF/Airman 1st Class Jesse Jenny)
Three bidders are vying for a lucrative contract to replace more than 600 engines powering the B-52H but the USAF faces a tricky decision.
Three aero-engine manufacturers and their respective supply chains are awaiting a USAF decision on the Commercial Engine Replacement Program (CERP) for its B-52H Stratofortress fleet of 77 aircraft.
Although this is a small fleet compared with others in the USAF, each aircraft has eight engines so the lucrative re-engining contract will be for at least 616 engines. This will generate work worth up to $2 billion, but the big issue is risk because of the sheer age of the fleet.
The last B-52Hs were built in 1962 and re-engining such an old airframe is hardly straightforward. If the CERP proceeds,
Our news & analysis is now part of Defence Insight®
A Basic-level or higher Defence Insight subscription is now required to view this content.
More from Air Warfare
-
![Eurosatory 2026: Wartime iteration gives Ukraine an edge as future UAV exporter]()
Eurosatory 2026: Wartime iteration gives Ukraine an edge as future UAV exporter
As industrial-scale drone production proves its battlefield worth in Ukraine, what happens to that production capacity and knowhow once the guns fall silent – and is Ukraine about to become one of the world’s most credible UAV export partners?
-
![Callen-Lenz pushes ahead with Nyan OWE as it hails operational success]()
Callen-Lenz pushes ahead with Nyan OWE as it hails operational success
The one-way-effector uncrewed aerial vehicle has also been tested by the British Army, following on from its contract award notice in February 2026.
-
![Eurosatory 2026: Locally produced loitering munition destined for UAE Navy, says MBDA]()
Eurosatory 2026: Locally produced loitering munition destined for UAE Navy, says MBDA
The contract signed between MBDA and Fly-R will see diamond-shaped loitering munitions developed and prepared in the UAE. How does this move fit into wider market trends in the region?
-
![Eurosatory 2026: MBDA and Thales look to civilian industry for loitering munition scale-up]()
Eurosatory 2026: MBDA and Thales look to civilian industry for loitering munition scale-up
Thales and MBDA have taken steps to ensure the mass production of their respective loitering munition offerings at Eurosatoy, teaming with civilian manufacturers. These moves come amid France’s push towards sovereign drone production and continued market expansion.
-
![Eurosatory 2026: How the deep-strike, loitering munition market skyrocketed to $13.8 billion in three years]()
Eurosatory 2026: How the deep-strike, loitering munition market skyrocketed to $13.8 billion in three years
Ukraine’s rapid development of long-range, deep-strike loitering munitions has helped turn the sector into a market worth an estimated US$13.2 billion. The reasons behind this were outlined during Eurosatory 2026, as other countries embark on the early stages of procuring this capability.
