Boeing looks to Spirit for B-52 engine upgrades to keep bombers flying U.S. Air Force B-52 assigned to the 5th Bomb Wing soars over the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) area of responsibility (AOR), March 7, 2021. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Zade Vadnais)
Boeing has selected Spirit Aerosystems to provide engine parts for a round of upgrades that will help keep B-52 bombers in the sky through at least 2050.
Spirit will provide engine pylons and nacelle assemblies for the Boeing effort, which aims to replace 608 engines on the U.S. Air Force fleet of 76 B-52H Stratofortress planes.
“We are very pleased Boeing selected Spirit to be the structures partner on the B-52 [Commercial Engine Replacement Program] taking advantage of decades of experience and capabilities building engine struts and nacelles in Wichita,” Duane Hawkins, Spirit’s president of defense and space, said in a news release.
Officials last week would not provide a dollar value for the multi-year defense contract. They said they don’t expect the program to create new jobs in Wichita, although that could change as production ramps up.
Wichita has played a major role in B-52 production from their first flight in 1952. All B-52H models were built by Boeing at the south Oliver plant now operated by Spirit. Boeing has continued to provide support and upgrades on the fleet in the years since.
“Spirit is proud of our heritage with the warfighter by producing legacy bombers and now extending that legacy keeping the B-52 flying for decades to come,” Hawkins said.
The B-52s can fly 650 miles per hour at 50,000 feet for 8,800 miles, and each is capable of delivering 70,000 pounds of bombs. They were a key facet of the U.S. deterrence strategy during the Cold War and flew thousands of missions during the Vietnam War.
Each plane boasts eight original Pratt & Whitney jet engines, which will be replaced with Rolls-Royce models. The Air Force chose to retain all eight engines in the replacement effort, even as commercial airlines have moved toward more efficient models with two engines.
Eric Hein, a Spirit vice president who will oversee the engine program, called the contract “a big vote of confidence” from Boeing’s Defense, Space & Security division.
Spirit already provides pylon assemblies for every in-production commercial Boeing airplane built in Wichita, as well as nacelle assemblies for a number of models.
Hein said if Spirit delivers on the initial development contract for Boeing, he expects to be awarded another contract for production.
“As Spirit executes this program, we’ll be building confidence with the customer on top of that, which we already have on the commercial side, which will naturally springboard us into production with Boeing,” Hein said.
Last June, Spirit executives announced their intentions to grow their defense business from roughly 20% of company revenue to 40% in the years to come.
“This is a key win for us as a defense organization,” Hein said. “It’s our first major win with Boeing Defense as an entity.”
He said it’s fitting that Wichita’s aircraft manufacturing community gets to help extend the lifespan of the bomber planes built in the Air Capital.
“It’s a big thing,” Hein said. “It’s an emotional connection for the Wichita community to have been a part of the B-52 for the entire span of the program.”
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