Key Points and Summary – The B-52 is aging, but upgrades aim to keep it relevant. New F130 engines, an AESA radar, and standoff weapons—especially the 1,000-mile JASSM-XR and the nuclear AGM-181 LRSO—let the B-52J strike from outside dense air defenses.
-The legacy AGM-86B remains a long-reach option, but sustainment and radar swap delays raise cost and schedule risks.
A U.S. Air Force B-52 Stratofortress, assigned to the 5th Bomb Wing, conducts aerial refueling with a KC-135 Stratotanker, assigned the 350th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron, June 14, 2024 during a presence patrol mission over the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility. The B-52 is capable of flying at high subsonic speeds, at altitudes of up to 50,000 feet, within the atmospheric tropopause, with worldwide precision navigation capability, providing a unique rapid response to senior coalition leaders globally. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech Sgt. Ashley Sokolov)
A B-52H Stratofortress assigned to the 419th Flight Test Squadron is undergoes pre-flight procedures at Edwards Air Force Base, California, Aug. 8. The aircraft conducted a captive-carry flight test of the AGM-183A Air-launched Rapid Response Weapon Instrumented Measurement Vehicle 2 at the Point Mugu Sea Range off the Southern California coast. (Air Force photo by Giancarlo Casem)
-Advocates say the B-52’s payload and endurance make it the ultimate “bomb truck.” Skeptics counter that modern air defenses demand stealth, urging more B-21s.
-Bottom line: if the B-52 stays, longer-range weapons are mandatory; for high-end fights, growing the B-21 fleet is the safer bet.
The Long-Range B-52s Weapons That Are Needed For Modern War
The B-52 bomber remains essential due to its structural viability and its continued role as a significant component of the United States’ deterrence. Despite its 1960s origins, enhanced avionics, advanced weaponry, and new Rolls-Royce F-130 engines have modernized its capabilities.
The Air Force’s enormous Cold War-era bomber’s capacity to carry a significant amount of weapons, including nuclear-capable cruise missiles, makes it a “bomb truck” that enhances mission endurance and precision.
However, as the new B-52J is being upgraded with the latest enhancements, many of its critics, and rightfully so, wonder how it would fare in a modern air war against a near-peer adversary like China.
The B-52 has weapons that it can unleash from long range that will keep it safer from enemy anti-aircraft missiles.
1,000-Mile Range JASSM XR Missiles
The AGM-158 JASSM (Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile) now has an Extreme Range (XR) variant, produced by Lockheed Martin.
JASSM Missile National Security Journal Photo
With a range of 1,000 miles, an increase from the original 230 miles, this missile enhances U.S. strike capabilities while countering China’s anti-access/area denial (A2/AD) strategies.
The AGM-158 is a long-range, standoff, stealthy cruise missile used by the US Air Force and the Navy, with an anti-ship version known as the JASSM.
Lockheed Martin has added an Extreme Range (XR) variant to the JASSM, known as the JASSM XR, which allows the Air Force and Navy to conduct deep strikes against Chinese targets.
Lockheed plans to build at least 1,100 AGM-158 XRs a year.
A U.S. Air Force B-52H Stratofortress assigned to the 2nd Bomb Wing prepares to depart for a Bomber Task Force mission at Barksdale Air Force Base, La., May 18, 2025. These bomber missions are representative of the U.S. commitment to our allies and enhancing regional security. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Jaiyah Lewis)
Besides the B-52, JASSMs can be carried by the B-1B Lancer, B-2 Spirit, F-15E Strike Eagle, F-15EX, F-16C/D, F/A-18C/D, and possibly the F-35.
The Long-Range Stand Off (LRSO) Missile
The AGM-181 LRSO (Long Range Standoff) is a stealthy, next-generation nuclear cruise missile being developed by the US Air Force to replace the aging AGM-86B.
Designed to be launched from aircraft like the B-52 and B-21, it will be able to penetrate advanced air defenses and is armed with a W80-4 nuclear warhead with selectable yields.
The LRSO will be a key component of the U.S. nuclear triad, with an initial operational capability expected around 2030 and production commencing after a decision in late 2027.
The capabilities of the LRSO are classified in terms of range and speed, but the Air Force has stated that the missile will not be hypersonic.
The US plans to build 1,087 of the missiles, of which some 67 would be used in the development phase. Initially expected to cost about $10 million each, the most recent estimate is that LRSO will cost $13 million each.
The AGM-86B Nuclear Missile
The AGM-86B is a nuclear-capable, air-launched cruise missile (ALCM) with a turbofan engine, a range of about 1,500 miles, and a nuclear warhead.
It was developed to increase the effectiveness of B-52H bombers and is difficult to detect on radar because it can fly at low altitudes, complicating enemy defense systems.
A turbofan jet engine powers it. Its small size and ability to fly close to the ground make it difficult for radar to detect. It utilizes navigation systems to fly at low altitudes and over long ranges.
The nuclear-armed version, the AGM-86B, can carry a nuclear warhead. A B-52 can carry up to 20 AGM-86Bs.
Related variants: There are conventional variants, such as the AGM-86C/D (CALCM), which were developed for conventional payloads.
These missiles can be carried by both the B-52 and the new B-21 Raider stealth bombers. These weapons will keep the upgraded B-52J and B-21 Raider bombers at a safer distance from enemy air defense missiles.
Upgrades For The B-52J Model
The legendary B-52 Stratofortress, first flown in the 1950s, is being modernized with new Rolls-Royce F130 engines, state-of-the-art radar systems, engine pylons, digital engine controls, and other upgrades to the venerable bomber, extending its service life into the 2050s. The planned Initial Operational Capability for the new radar is 2027.
The upgrade, led by US defense contractor Raytheon in collaboration with aerospace giant Boeing, replaces the aging AN/APQ-166 with a new active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar, designated AN/APQ-188. This hybrid system is based on radars used in the F-15 and F/A-18.
Once complete, the aircraft will be redesignated as the B-52J, a name befitting a bomber expected to remain in service until at least 2050, when the youngest of these airframes will be approaching their 100th birthday.
However, as Dr. Brent Eastwood pointed out, “the Air Force wants to trade the old mechanically-scanned AN/APQ-166 radars in each of its 76 B-52Hs for new active electronically-scanned array (AESA) versions. This is going to cost a whopping $34 million each.
“But worse than the high cost is the schedule slip. In FY21, it was estimated that the radar swaps would take 63 months to complete. By FY23, the estimated schedule had grown to 73 months. That is a schedule slip of 16 percent longer in duration for the upgrade.”
Why Not Build More B-21 Raiders?
The B-21 Raider is designed for survivability in contested 21st-century environments, is built to penetrate modern air defenses, and operate undetected where legacy bombers cannot.
Modern air defense systems are becoming increasingly sophisticated, and the B-52’s large radar cross-section makes it a more vulnerable target than stealthier aircraft.
Critics argue that the Air Force should prioritize platforms that can operate effectively in these contested environments, like the B-21 Raider, ensuring the ability to penetrate advanced air defenses and deliver precision strikes.
We saw that with the B-2 stealth bombers just about a week ago. There was a reason the Air Force chose B-2s over B-52s for the airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear enrichment centers.
Yet rather than fully committing to the B-21 and expanding production beyond the planned 100 aircraft, the Air Force is doubling down on a Cold War workhorse. The US should plan on building much more than the 100 B-21s.
The idea that the B-52J can remain a foundation of U.S. strategic bombing until 2050 rests on the assumption that future wars will resemble our past ones. That is a dangerous assumption for the crew members and the Air Force.
The fact that Russia is using Cold War bombers as standoff missile trucks doesn’t take into consideration that China is far more advanced than Ukraine.
The B-52, despite its standoff capability to launch missiles, is not survivable against peer or near-peer adversaries on the modern air war battlefield.
However, with the Air Force’s decision to keep the B-52, the longer-range weapons will keep it further away from enemy air defenses.
About the Author: Steve Balestrieri
Steve Balestrieri is a National Security Columnist. He served as a US Army Special Forces NCO and Warrant Officer. In addition to writing on defense, he covers the NFL for PatsFans.com and is a member of the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA). His work was regularly featured in many military publications.
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