Overview
- A B-52 ferried on Dec. 8 from Boeing’s San Antonio facility to Edwards Air Force Base, flown by crews from the 49th Test Evaluation Squadron and the 419th Flight Test Squadron.
- The aircraft is fitted with Raytheon’s AN/APQ-188 active electronically scanned array, replacing the legacy AN/APQ-166 and drawing on fighter-radar architectures.
- Ground and flight testing with the 412th Test Wing will run through 2026 to generate data for a production decision and to guide retrofit plans for all 76 B-52s.
- Oversight reports cited environmental qualification, software, parts procurement and physical integration challenges, and reported costs rose to about $14.35 million per tail, triggering a Nunn-McCurdy notification.
- RMP adds new mission computers, large high-definition touchscreens, fighter-like hand controllers and upgraded thermal management, and it complements the separate Rolls-Royce F130 re-engining effort.