A recent B-52 bomber crash in California will delay a $3 billion radar modernization program. Boeing conducts this upgrade work at Port San Antonio.
The facility also manages a $2 billion engine replacement project to extend the fleet's service life into the 2050s. The radar program already reports a $229 million cost overrun.
This overage triggered a significant breach of the Nunn-McCurdy Act, requiring Congressional notification. The loss of the test aircraft halts the flight and ground testing required to retrofit the remaining 74 jets.