The US Air Force needs new engines for its fleet of strategic long-range B-52 bombers Stratofortress, but there are no funds necessary due to the constraints of the defense expenditure budget.
For several years now, the proposal to replace the eight Pratt & Whitney TF33 turbojets on each B-52 - which burn about 3.000 liters of fuel per hour - has been lying unheard on the Pentagon's desks due to the lack of required funds.
During the hearing of the Air Force General Staff at theHouse Armed Services Committee on Tuesday, the gen. Stephen Wilson said that replacing the old turbojets with new engines would increase the 'range' of action of the B-52 'by around 30%' and increase their autonomy on the target 'of over 150%'. The general went on to illustrate the savings in terms of fuel and maintenance costs that the modernization of the engines would generate.
"If we had the money, we could do it. But we don't have them".
General Wilson has issued statements regarding a 'second route' consisting in the possibility of replacing the engines of the strategic long-range bomber fleet through 'third party' financing. Third party funding was described in past years by Lieutenant General Mike Holmes who explained: "The idea is that of a public-private partnership, where someone finances the replacement of old turbojets and generates profit from the fuel savings that this modernization would cause over the years ". For this reason, despite the budget constraints that hold back the proposal, the US Air Force has sent requests (RFI) to all engine manufacturers regarding TF33 replacement plans.
Currently the 'operational' fleet of B-52 is composed of 70 units that should fly up to the 2040 / 50 before the new next-generation strategic bomber being designed by Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider take his place.
(photo: US DoD)
