WASHINGTON — The U.S. Air Force has awarded Raytheon a $603 million ceiling indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for the production and sustainment of new radar systems for the B-52 Stratofortress fleet.
The August 21, 2026, sole-source contract covers the AN/APQ-188 Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar, which will replace the B-52H’s legacy AN/APQ-166 mechanical analog radar. The Air Force has obligated $46,008,396 in fiscal 2026 aircraft procurement funds through the initial delivery order.
The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity under contract FA8628-26-D-B001. Work will be performed in Forrest, Mississippi; El Segundo, California; McKinney, Texas; and Warner Robins, Georgia, with completion expected by August 20, 2031.
New Radar Capabilities
The AN/APQ-188, also known as the Bomber Modernized Radar System, was developed by Raytheon and is derived primarily from the AN/APG-79 AESA radar used on the Navy’s F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and EA-18G Growler, with additional technology from the AN/APG-82 used on F-15 aircraft. A larger antenna was adapted for installation on the B-52.
The radar provides high-resolution mapping, improved all-weather navigation, enhanced target detection and tracking, and electronic warfare support. The Air Force selected existing radar technology to limit development costs while adding modern capabilities to the bomber.
Part of B-52J Modernization
The radar replacement is part of the wider B-52 modernization program. The Air Force plans to install the system across its 76 B-52H bombers. Other major upgrades include the replacement of the existing engines with Rolls-Royce F130 engines. These changes will transition the aircraft to the B-52J configuration and support operations into the 2050s.
The radar program has faced schedule delays and rising costs. Initial flight testing was pushed from fiscal 2024 to 2026.
The first modified test aircraft arrived at Edwards Air Force Base in December 2025. On June 15, 2026, it crashed shortly after takeoff during a local test mission supporting the radar program, killing all eight crew members aboard.
A second B-52H test aircraft is undergoing modification and radar installation at Boeing’s facility in San Antonio, Texas. It is expected to take over flight evaluations after the work is completed later this year.
A separate delivery order was also issued to Boeing for bomb rack modernization system kits, valued at up to approximately $163 million, with work in San Antonio expected to continue through December 2028.
The latest Raytheon contract provides for production and long-term sustainment of the new radar as the Air Force continues the B-52 fleet modernization program.
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