Gen. Ellen Pawlikowski, head of U.S. Air Force Materiel Command, told defense reporters last week she is confident that the B-52 bomber, which the Air Force plans to equip with new engines, can remain in service until 2050. Although the plane is more than 55 years old, it has relatively few flight hours and has fared well in a nearly completed structural integrity review. “It’s got good bones,” she said. “It’s structurally solid. And we think that with the re-engining, we can really drive down the fuel cost.”
Pawlikowski told the reporters that the Air Force is applying predictive maintenance to B-1 bombers and C-5 transports in hopes of replacing parts before they break, thereby reducing down time. The general wants to expand the effort to more aircraft. “We’re very excited about this because we see huge potential to improve aircraft availability and drive down the cost,” she said. “We’re looking at increasing the investment in that to bring it further.”