Overview
- On Dec. 8, a B-52H modified with Raytheon’s AN/APQ-188 AESA radar flew from Boeing’s San Antonio facility to Edwards Air Force Base with crews from the 49th Test Evaluation Squadron and the 419th Flight Test Squadron.
- The new radar replaces the legacy AN/APQ-166 and is intended to improve all-weather navigation, mapping, and targeting while reducing maintenance demands.
- Ground and flight evaluations at Edwards are scheduled throughout 2026 to assess performance, integration with existing systems, and operational suitability ahead of a production decision.
- GAO and DOT&E previously flagged environmental qualification, software, parts procurement, and physical-integration issues, contributing to delays, cost growth, a 2025 Nunn–McCurdy breach, and an initial operational capability now projected for 2028–2030.
- The radar upgrade is part of the broader B-52J modernization—including new engines, avionics, communications, and weapons—aimed at sustaining the 76-aircraft fleet into the 2050s as a complement to the B-21 Raider.