A U.S. Air Force B-52H Stratofortress crashed shortly after take‑off from Edwards Air Force Base in California, killing all eight crew members aboard. The aircraft was conducting a test flight for the Radar Modernization Program (RMP) and was equipped with the new AN/APQ‑188 AESA radar, a system being integrated into the B‑52 fleet as part of its upgrade to the future B‑52J configuration.
Among the dead were two Boeing employees, the prime contractor for the radar upgrade. The loss of one of the few test aircraft fitted with the AN/APQ‑188 could further delay the RMP, which has already slipped from an initial 2024 flight‑test schedule to a projected initial operational capability around 2030, with costs now exceeding $2.4 billion.
The Air Force is expected to replace the lost bomber with a reserve aircraft to maintain the fleet of roughly 76 B‑52s, which must simultaneously support nuclear deterrence, combat operations, and ongoing modernization trials.