The US Air Force (USAF) has awarded Rolls-Royce a $2.6bn contract to replace the engines on its B-52H Stratofortress bomber fleet.
The competitive single award contract will see Rolls-Royce supply F-130 engines for all of the USAF’s Air Force Global Strike Command’s (AFGSC) B-52H bombers.
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Under the B-52 Commercial Engine Replacement Program (CERP), the company was selected following a rigorous multi-year competitive bid.
The US-made Rolls-Royce F-130 engine will keep the bomber fleet flying for the next three decades.
Rolls-Royce plans to build and test the engines at its Indianapolis facility, which recently underwent a $600m manufacturing upgrade.
According to the USAF, the contract includes the provision of 608 military derivative commercial engines, spare engines and related support equipment.
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By GlobalDataIt also includes provision of commercial engineering data, including sustainment activities in support of the fleet.
Rolls-Royce North America chairman and CEO and Defense president Tom Bell said: “We are proud to join a truly iconic US Air Force programme and provide world-class, American-made engines that will power its missions for the next 30 years.
“The F130 is a proven, efficient, modern engine that is the perfect fit for the B-52.”
Rolls-Royce’s F130 engine will replace the Pratt & Whitney’s TF33-PW-103, which has powered the bomber fleet since the 1960s.
The B-52 original equipment manufacturer (OEM) Boeing will be responsible for integrating the engines onto the long-range, large-payload multirole bomber aircraft.
The first lot of B-52H modified aircraft is expected to be delivered by the end of 2028, with delivery of the first two fully modified B-52s scheduled for 2025.
Furthermore, the entire fleet is anticipated to complete modification by 2035.
Rolls-Royce Defense Strategic Campaigns SVP Craig McVay said: “We’ve been planning and preparing for this outcome and are ready to hit the ground running to prove that we are the best choice for the airforce and the B-52.
“Our employees stand prepared to deliver once again for the men and women who protect our freedoms every day.”
