Push for 100 Years of B-52s Sees Delays, Cost Runup, GAO Says

A congressionally mandated GAO audit says an Air Force upgrade program for the B-52 bomber—managed by Boeing—has hit early development snags, including cost growth and schedule delays. The effort covers upgrades to engines, radar, and communications. Of 13 planned upgrade projects, 10 are already underway, the audit finds, as the program begins its early phase. GAO’s findings point to management challenges commonly seen in long-running modernization work, especially when multiple subsystems are being engineered and integrated at once. The report underscores scrutiny over program spending and delivery timelines before full-scale rollouts.