Military Aircraft Procurement Aviation Accidents and Incidents Aviation Safety & Regulation Defense Budgets & Spending Defense Industry & Major Contractors Defense Policy & Military Strategy Boeing

USAF to restart B-52 radar testing after June crash; replacement test bomber targeted for end-2026 completion with AN/APQ-188

The U.S. Air Force says it remains on cost and schedule for B-52 modernization despite a June 15 crash of the first upgraded test bomber. Radar upgrade testing will resume using a second modified B-52, whose AN/APQ-188 AESA radar is being installed, with replacement-test-bomber work expected to be completed by end-2026 and late-2027 availability for the second platform.

Discovered 2026-07-27T11:06:26.523666-07:00 | 2026-07-27T11:06:26.523666-07:00

Briefing

What Hype is tracking

The June crash directly impacted the radar upgrade testing timeline, forcing the Air Force to change its test-aircraft strategy while maintaining modernization cost/schedule targets.
Restarting B-52 radar testing with a second modified aircraft—and installing the AN/APQ-188 AESA—ties program execution to new milestone dates (replacement-test-bomber completion by end-2026; second modified bomber availability late-2027).
The update signals how the USAF is managing schedule risk and safety-driven program adjustments in a high-visibility bomber modernization effort.

Reported By

Defense One Defense Scoop Air Data News Air & Space Forces Mag Aviation Week