Never Been a Better Time to Re-engine: Committed to the Future of the B-52

As the United States Air Force prepares to re-engine its entire fleet of B-52 aircraft, Pratt & Whitney has the opportunity to continue powering this critically important aircraft with the PW800 engine.

Re-engining an aircraft is challenging, but as the industry leaders in the low-risk integration of commercial engines on military aircraft like the PW2000 for the C-17, Pratt & Whitney is positioned to integrate the PW800 seamlessly onto the iconic bomber. With robust sustainment infrastructure in place, the PW800 is ready to support the B-52 through 2050 and beyond.

Pratt & Whitney has been the USAF’s B-52 propulsion provider from the beginning—powering the bomber since its first flight in 1952. The expertise it takes to keep it operating at peak performance for decades to come already exists. Pratt & Whitney’s unmatched expertise integrating propulsion systems on the B-52 airframe—from the J57 to the TF33, and sustaining the B-52’s propulsion system for more than 60 years—is what continues to set it apart from the competition.

The PW800 engine, is transforming modern aviation and has become an iconic part of the Pratt & Whitney engine family—just as the B-52 is an iconic part of the USAF fleet. Built to exceed industry standards in performance, fuel efficiency, and availability; the engine offers superior reliability and mission-readiness rates for this critical national security asset.

With every new generation of engines it designs, P&W invests heavily in significant improvements to maintainability and durability. The modern, proven technology and easy-to-maintain design of the PW800 will ensure the B-52 fleet is mission-ready at all times: whether for training, sitting nuclear alert, or executing combat operations in a wide range of diverse, austere environments. USAF aircrews will know with confidence they can depend on the PW800 engine to execute their mission and bring them home safely.

By selecting the PW800, the USAF will be able to take advantage of the lifecycle cost benefits from significant fuel burn savings, zero scheduled overhauls over the lifespan of the program, and lower cost on-wing maintenance.

And the accolades speak for themselves. The PW800 is a Laureate Award winner and the proven choice in the commercial market. It has greatly contributed to revolutionizing the industry. By utilizing next-generation technology in the core it shares with the Pratt & Whitney GTF™ engine, this innovative engine will deliver a generational leap in propulsion technology for the B-52.

Looking back on the age of propeller-driven aircraft, the B-52 was one of the only jet-powered bombers in the sky—featuring eight 10,000-pound thrust Pratt & Whitney J57-P-1W turbojet engines. And when the Air Force decided the B-52 needed new engines, Pratt & Whitney was there to support the USAF and integrate the more capable TF33 onto the legendary bomber. This longstanding legacy has firmly established the shared values between the two organizations. Pratt & Whitney is ready to deliver the groundbreaking innovation needed to take the B-52 Stratofortress into its critical next chapter and power the B-52 for as long as its mission is needed.

Innovation is what fuels Pratt & Whitney—and we will continue to innovate to fulfill our duty to keep the B-52 mission-ready. There’s never been a better time to re-engine the B-52, and there's never been a better option than the PW800.