Why The Boeing B-52 Bomber Will Still Be Flying At 100 Years Old

The Boeing B-52 is on track to become the first jet-powered aircraft to reach 100 years of continuous service, a milestone it will hit in the 2050s, thanks in part to its strategic reinvention and remarkable engineering — which also explains why it has those weird skin wrinkles. But the main reason the B-52 will still be flying at 100 years old is that the bombers meant to replace it haven't fully done so and, from the looks of it, won't anytime soon.

For example, the Air Force had planned to buy a fleet of 244 B-1 Lancer jets as successors to the B-52 but could only field about 100. Then there was the stealthy B-2 Spirit, which didn't scale well, with only 21 planes delivered out of an expected 132. Both jets relied on complex technologies, were expensive to maintain, and had poor operational readiness.

The B-52, by comparison, has remained available in large numbers and continues to offer strong combat capability. In 2019, for example, more than 66% of the B-52 fleet was combat-ready on any given day; this compares favorably to B-1's 46% and the B-2's 60% mission-capable rates, per Forbes.

Even as America's next stealth bomber, the B-21 Raider, is only now entering development, the Air Force is preparing to field just two bombers: at least 100 B-21 jets and 76 modernized versions of its oldest warhorse, the B-52. Heather Penney, a retired F-16 pilot, told Defense News that the Air Force is "asking geriatric B-52s to be that backbone while we're waiting for the B-21."

The reason the B-52 will be able to stay in the air even when it's a century old isn't just because its replacements aren't ready yet — the Air Force is overhauling the aircraft from nose to tail. 

A $48.6 billion modernization effort is underway, and it includes the installation of the new Rolls-Royce F130 engines to replace the 1960s-era Pratt & Whitney TF33 engines, in what the Air Force refers to as the "Commercial Engine Replacement Program." These engines boast better fuel efficiency, greater range, and reduced maintenance. 

But the engines are just one part of the effort. The B-52 is also getting a new active electronically scanned array radar, upgraded communications systems, and digital cockpit displays. The Air Force estimates that flight tests of B-52s fitted with the new Rolls-Royce engine will start by 2028, marking the beginning of a new era.

Despite these upgrades, no individual B-52 plane will actually be 100 years old by the 2050s. The type will reach a century of service, but the aircraft still flying were built in the early 1960s, and none of the 1950s airframes remain airborne today.

Even as the B-52 prepares to fly into the 2050s, the Air Force is pretty clear about the risks of relying on a Cold War airframe in the modern nuclear world. The bomber's mission-capable rate has gone down from a respectable 78% in 2012 to 59% in 2022, and due to its size and age, crews routinely discover issues during preflight checks.

Meanwhile, parts have become difficult to source, as manufacturers stopped supplying components for its 1960s-era engines and electronics long ago. The Defense Department has warned that in wartime and without modernization, as much as 40% of the future bomber fleet could fail to meet operational requirements.

Despite its age, the B-52 remains adaptable. It's one of the few platforms that can lay naval mines, launch hypersonic weapons, or fly 100-hour missions if needed. That's why the Air Force's current bomber strategy – which centers on the B-21 and the B-52 — depends entirely on the success of the Stratofortress overhaul. If the ongoing upgrades of engines, radar, and avionics fail, the service could risk losing a substantial portion of its bomber fleet.

Yet the Air Force has few alternatives. Experts like Penney argue that the service has to see the B-52 upgrade through because "long-range strike capability is absolutely nonnegotiable." Until the B-21 fleet reaches full strength, the bomber built for the Cold War remains indispensable.