dailynewsnblog
The Boeing B-52 Stratofortress has been a staple of American airpower since it entered the US Air Force (USAF) arsenal in the mid-20th century. Since then, the aircraft has taken part in numerous operations and remains a go-to bomber for striking targets, as demonstrated during Operation Epic Fury.
That said, despite its ability to carry a wide array of ordnance, its age requires continual maintenance and upgrades. Currently, the Air Force is in the process of a major modernization program that, once finished, will provide each of its remaining Stratofortresses with new engines and a new radar system. This significant upgrade will give the bomber enhanced targeting capabilities that its predecessor could not match.
At issue is the newly designed radome, the structure that physically protects the radar. While the new AN/APQ-188 was designed to provide significantly improved capabilities, its performance also depends on the surrounding structure. The USAF initially planned to replace the B-52’s existing radome with a new wideband design, but ultimately decided to retain the legacy structure. The decision stems from both cost and the challenges of integrating the new sensor into the B-52’s nose.
The B-52 Is Getting a New Radar, But The Radome Has Become a Budgetary Casualty
To maintain an important aspect of its long-range strike capability, the Air Force is undertaking a massive modernization of its B-52 fleet. The Stratofortress entered operational service in 1956, and by 1960, the B-52H, which is still in operation today, made its first flight.
“…from the XB-52 to the B-52H, 774 aircraft were approved, produced, and fielded in just over 10 years,” according to the Air and Space Power Journal.
To keep its remaining 76-H’s in the air and viable for service beyond 2050, the USAF has begun the Radar Modernization Program (RMP) and the Commercial Engine Replacement Program (CERP). The former began development in 2021; since then, the RMP’s estimated acquisition costs have increased by over 30 percent to more than $2.9 billion by 2025, as noted in the Government Accountability Office’s B-52 Bomber report. Because of these rising program expenditures, the B-52 program office has removed five of the RMP’s original performance requirements.
One removed requirement was the design of a radome, which protects the bomber’s new, advanced radar. The radome’s structure must be durable enough to ensure the sensor’s safe operation while also allowing its signals to pass through freely. The USAF originally planned to install a new wideband radome with the B-52’s AN/APQ-188 radar; however, cost growth and technical integration challenges led the service to scale back the program. Under the revised minimum-viable configuration, the new radome was deferred, and the existing radome will be retained.
As seen in the photo above, the B-52’s new Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) AN/APQ-188 Bomber Modernized Radar is positioned at the front of the aircraft, within the lower deck of the large nose/radome structure, beneath the cockpit area. The APQ-188’s antenna is visually estimated to measure roughly 3.5 to 4 feet (1.1 to 1.2 meters) across, giving it a frontal area of around 10 square feet (0.9 square meters). The Air Force has not publicly disclosed the antenna’s exact dimensions.
Why Did The Radar Need A New Radome?
The decision to retain the B-52’s existing radome is particularly significant because the new AN/APQ-188 radar was designed to operate with a purpose-built wideband radome. The APQ-188 is derived from the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet’s AN/APG-79 AESA radar, which is also installed aboard all the F/A-18G Growlers and nearly 100 F/A-18A F/A-18A through D Hornets flying with the Marine Corps. Further, the F-15E Strike Eagle and the F-15EX’s AN/APG-82 use radars derived from the AN/APG-79 technology.
For the B-52, the APQ-188 offers a wider field of view and expanded frequency bandwidth compared with the B-52’s legacy AN/APQ-166 system radar. The new radome was intended to take advantage of these capabilities, with its shape playing an important role in determining the sensor’s performance.
However, unlike the AN/APG-79, the variant entering the remaining operational Stratofortresses will be angled downward rather than upward because it cannot look up due to the bulkhead above. The new radome was intended to address this limitation by providing a more suitable geometry around the radar, helping to expand its field of view and reduce the constraints imposed by the existing nose configuration.
On December 8, 2025, a crew of personnel from the 49th Test Evaluation Squadron at Barksdale Air Force Base (AFB) and the 419th Flight Test Squadron at Edwards AFB flew the first flight in a B-52 with the new APQ-188. The ferry flight took place from Boeing’s San Antonio facility to Edwards. The test team will conduct ground and flight testing throughout 2026 to support a production decision later in the year.
“The B-52 Radar Modernization Program is about more than technology; it’s about readiness, deterrence, and the ability to fight and win,” Air Force Chief of Staff General Ken Wilsbach stated regarding the achievement. “The B-52 remains a powerful example of how we fly, fix, and fight to sustain global strike capability.”
The APQ-188 & How This Improved Radar Will Enhance The B-52’s Effectiveness
The new APQ-188 radar will offer significant advantages over the bomber’s original analog systems. These include increased detection range, improved resolution, greater resistance to jamming by potential enemies, and multifunctional capabilities that could aid electronic warfare. The enhancements are expected to improve the B-52’s target acquisition, possibly including the ability to identify mobile ground targets. While the radar is optimized for air-to-ground targeting, it will likely retain its air-to-air scanning capabilities in order to defend against aerial threats.
Further improvements, as detailed by Boeing, will include two Display and System Sensor Processors that will act as the B-52’s mission computers. These will integrate the sensor with the bomber’s onboard systems and are connected to dual 8×20-inch high-definition touchscreen displays at the Navigator and Radar Navigator stations. These computers will provide radar imagery, control, and information relayed from remaining legacy systems.
Boeing has also detailed further improvements to the bomber’s temperature management systems, which provide liquid cooling for the radar and engine bleed-air heating for very cold conditions.
“The new radar will significantly increase B-52 mission effectiveness by improving situational awareness, speeding target prosecution and enhancing aircrew survivability in contested environments,” Troy Dawson, Vice President of Bombers, explained.
Following the APQ-188’s successful testing, the program achieved Milestone C on August 21, authorizing Low-Rate Initial Production (LRIP) of the new radar. That same day, Raytheon Technologies was awarded an LRIP contract for the radars, while Boeing received a contract to produce Lot 1 of four aircraft integration kits. The five-lot production plan will produce and deliver 74 such kits, supporting installation of the new radar across the B-52 fleet.
The B-52’s Radar Upgrade Moves Toward Production
The B-52’s radar modernization represents one of the most significant upgrades to the venerable bomber in decades. The AN/APQ-188 will provide improved detection, targeting, and electronic warfare capabilities, helping keep the Stratofortress relevant in increasingly contested environments. However, the decision to retain the B-52’s existing radome highlights the engineering and financial challenges involved in integrating modern technology into an airframe designed more than 70 years ago.
With Milestone C achieved and Low-Rate Initial Production underway, the radar upgrade is now moving beyond development and toward fielding. The B-52’s modernization will continue to reshape the aircraft while preserving its ability to carry a broad range of weapons and perform long-range strike missions. As the USAF prepares to operate the bomber for decades to come, upgrades such as the APQ-188 will be essential to maintaining its capabilities without replacing the airframe itself.
Ultimately, the radar upgrade demonstrates how the USAF can extend the B-52’s usefulness through targeted modernization rather than replacing the aircraft outright. While retaining the existing radome may limit some of the advantages originally envisioned for the new radar, the APQ-188 will still represent a substantial improvement over the bomber’s aging system. Together with the B-52’s other modernization efforts, the upgrade will help ensure the Stratofortress remains a viable component of US long-range strike capabilities for years to come.
