The U.S. Air Force has awarded Raytheon and Boeing a combined $766 million in contracts to modernize the radar systems aboard the B-52 Stratofortress, advancing a long-running effort to keep the Cold War-era bomber operationally relevant well into the coming decades. The awards, reported by Air & Space Forces Magazine in an article titled “Raytheon, Boeing Get $766M in Contracts for B-52 Radar Upgrades,” mark a significant funding milestone for the service’s Radar Modernization Program, known as RMP. For context on the broader push to sustain the B-52 fleet, see GDD’s earlier coverage of the B-52 radar program.

The contracts provide development and integration funding as the Air Force works to replace the B-52’s existing AN/APQ-166 radar with a modern active electronically scanned array, or AESA, system. Raytheon is the prime contractor responsible for designing and delivering the new radar hardware, while Boeing holds the airframe integration contract, overseeing how the new system is installed and tested aboard the aircraft. Officials have not publicly confirmed the precise per-unit cost breakdown or a final delivery schedule tied to these specific awards.

What the Contracts Cover

According to Space Forces Magazine, Raytheon’s portion of the award supports continued development of the AESA radar unit itself, while Boeing’s contract covers the work required to integrate the new system into the B-52’s airframe and avionics architecture. The dual-contract structure reflects the complexity of the program — replacing a radar on an aircraft designed in the 1950s requires substantial engineering work that neither a radar house nor an airframer can execute in isolation.

The RMP is one of several concurrent modernization efforts underway for the B-52. The Air Force is also pursuing a Commercial Engine Replacement Program to swap out the bomber’s eight TF33 turbofan engines, and the fleet has undergone a series of avionics and communications upgrades in recent years. Together, these programs are intended to sustain the B-52 in the U.S. nuclear and conventional strike role through at least the 2050s, a timeline that demands the aircraft’s core sensors be brought up to contemporary standards.

Strategic and Industrial Significance

The RMP award carries weight beyond its dollar value. An AESA radar will substantially expand the B-52’s ability to detect, track, and engage targets, improving performance in contested environments where legacy mechanically scanned arrays have well-documented limitations. AESA systems offer greater reliability, faster beam-steering, and improved electronic protection compared to older radar designs — capabilities that matter increasingly as adversaries field more capable air defenses and electronic warfare systems.

From an industrial standpoint, the contract sustains two major primes on a program that spans the better part of a decade. Raytheon, now operating as RTX’s Raytheon segment, has pursued the B-52 radar work alongside a broad portfolio of airborne radar programs, while Boeing’s B-52 integration role complements its existing sustainment work on the platform. The Pentagon’s simultaneous investment in advanced power systems — including efforts like the mobile nuclear microreactor program for forward bases — reflects a wider push to modernize energy and sensor infrastructure across legacy and next-generation platforms alike.

The Air Force has not confirmed the number of aircraft to be upgraded under these specific contract actions, nor have officials provided an initial operational capability date tied to the RMP awards. Program details are expected to be updated as development milestones are reached and production contracts are negotiated.