On the morning of September 12, 2025, two massive U.S. Air Force B-52H Stratofortress bombers thundered into the skies above Gloucestershire, England, touching down at RAF Fairford just as the sun was rising. Their arrival, meticulously tracked by military enthusiasts and aviation experts alike, marked the opening act for Exercise Cobra Warrior 25-2—a high-stakes, multinational warfighting exercise hosted by the Royal Air Force and drawing together NATO and allied air forces for a display of modern military might and coalition readiness.
The two bombers, bearing tail numbers 61-0029 and 61-0014, had flown in from Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana, representing the 307th Bomb Wing. According to reports from the National Security Journal and official statements from the U.S. Air Force, these aircraft are more than just Cold War relics; they are the backbone of America’s strategic bomber fleet, and their presence in the UK underscores both their enduring utility and the urgent modernization efforts currently underway.
Of the two, only 61-0029 retains its nuclear capability—its companion, 61-0014, had all nuclear weapons-related equipment removed to comply with the New START treaty. This distinction is more than a technicality: it reflects ongoing debates within the U.S. Congress about the future of the B-52 fleet, particularly as arms control agreements evolve and global security concerns shift. As reported by aviation sources, there is growing momentum in Washington to restore full nuclear capability to all B-52s, especially following the recent expiration of New START.
Exercise Cobra Warrior, held biannually since 2019, is no ordinary drill. The RAF describes it as a high-intensity warfighting scenario, designed to push participants to their operational and tactical limits in contested, degraded, and limited environments. This year, the exercise draws aircraft and crews from the United States, Canada, Italy, Germany, and the UK, with civilian contractors like Draken, Top Aces, and GFD providing additional support. The U.S. Air Force’s participation is especially robust, fielding not just the B-52s but also F-15E Strike Eagles, F-16C Fighting Falcons, F-35A Lightning IIs, CV-22B Ospreys, MC-130J Commando IIs, and KC-135 Stratotankers. Canada brings CF-188A Hornets and CC-130J Hercules, Italy deploys Eurofighter Typhoons and a G550 CAEW, while Germany contributes its own Typhoons.
Lt. Col. Kenny Squires, the 307th Bomb Wing’s deployed commander, summed up the mission’s significance: “The B-52 brings strategic reach and long-range strike capabilities to the fight. Exercises like Cobra Warrior 2025 ensure we keep a sharp edge. For our team, it’s a chance to operate in a high-tempo, coalition environment away from home station and build readiness that underpins global deterrence. It also ensures our allies have exposure to heavy bomber integration and capabilities that they may not see regularly so that both of us are prepared for tomorrow’s challenges.”
But the story of the B-52s in England this September is only part of a much larger narrative—one that stretches back to the dawn of the jet age and now looks forward, well into the 2050s. The U.S. Air Force is in the midst of an ambitious modernization effort known as the B-52 Stratofortress Commercial Engine Replacement Program (CERP), or more informally, the B-52J program. This sweeping upgrade, led by aerospace giant Rolls-Royce, aims to keep 76 of these venerable bombers flying for decades to come.
At the heart of the B-52J program is the replacement of the aircraft’s eight aging Pratt & Whitney TF33 engines—workhorses dating back to the early Cold War—with new Rolls-Royce F130 engines. According to Rolls-Royce, these engines will “provide vastly greater fuel efficiency while increasing range and reducing tanker aircraft requirements.” It’s a promise that, if realized, will dramatically extend the bomber’s reach, particularly in the vast Indo-Pacific theater, where distances between targets and refueling points can be daunting.
The modernization doesn’t stop at engines. The B-52s will also receive new engine pylons, upgraded power generation systems, and modern glass cockpit displays, replacing much of the legacy equipment that has defined the bomber’s flight deck for generations. Perhaps most critically, the bombers’ mechanically scanned AN/APQ-166 radar will be swapped out for a cutting-edge, electronically scanned array radar—a derivative of Raytheon’s AN/APG-79, already in use on F/A-18 Super Hornets and EA-18G Growlers. This upgrade will give the B-52s sharper targeting and tracking capabilities, especially vital for the delivery of long-range, standoff munitions.
Yet, as with any ambitious engineering project, the B-52J program has hit turbulence. According to a recent report by the Government Accountability Office (GAO), development slipped nearly a year to June 2025 after tests revealed non-uniform airflow at the new engine inlets, forcing a redesign and wind-tunnel testing through the summer of 2025. The critical design review is now slated for April 2026, with the first upgraded jets expected to fly around 2033 and program completion in 2036—pushing the finish line a year later than previously planned.
“In December 2023, the program received Air Force approval to transition to the MCA pathway before development start, but development start has been delayed by nearly a year—to June 2025,” the GAO wrote. “According to the program, delays stem from ongoing engine inlet issues the program found during design testing and from Boeing’s lag in submitting proposals needed for maturing the program’s cost and schedule baselines. Officials stated that Boeing submitted qualified proposals in summer 2024 that the program is currently reviewing.”
Despite these setbacks, the core appeal of the B-52 endures. With a payload capacity of roughly 70,000 pounds (35 tons) and a range that, thanks to the new engines, will be even more formidable, the Stratofortress remains a unique asset in the U.S. arsenal. As National Security Journal notes, “There are very few countries in the world that can haul approximately 70,000 pounds, or 35 tons of weaponry, to far-distant targets.” The bomber’s flexibility—its ability to deliver both conventional and nuclear payloads, operate at intercontinental distances, and integrate with allied forces—makes it central to American and NATO deterrence strategies.
Back at RAF Fairford, the arrival of the two B-52s was a moment of both nostalgia and anticipation. The first jet, 61-0014, bore the markings of the 93rd Bomb Squadron, a unit with a storied history that includes combat missions to Iraq in 2003. The second, 61-0029, sported the distinctive Operational Test (OT) tail code of the 49th Test and Evaluation Squadron—a first for a B-52 in the UK, hinting that new capabilities or equipment may be trialed during the exercise.
As Exercise Cobra Warrior 25-2 unfolds, the presence of these bombers serves as a powerful reminder: the B-52, with its unmistakable silhouette and evolving technology, continues to bridge generations of airmen and eras of conflict. From the Cold War to today’s complex security environment, it remains a symbol of both American resolve and allied cooperation, its legacy carried forward by the aircrews and engineers determined to keep it flying for another half-century.
