The Boeing B-52 Stratofortress is an American long-range, subsonic, jet-powered strategic bomber. It has been operated by the United States Air Force since the 1950s. Built to carry nuclear weapons for Cold War-era deterrence missions, it replaced the Convair B-36 Peacemaker. The bomber is capable of carrying up to 70,000 pounds of weapons, and has a typical combat range of more than 8,800 miles.
About Boeing B-52 Stratofortress in brief
The Boeing B-52 Stratofortress is an American long-range, subsonic, jet-powered strategic bomber. It has been operated by the United States Air Force since the 1950s. The bomber is capable of carrying up to 70,000 pounds of weapons, and has a typical combat range of more than 8,800 miles without aerial refueling. As of June 2019, 58 are in service, 18 in reserve, and about 12 in long-term storage. The last airplanes are expected to serve into the 2050s. Built to carry nuclear weapons for Cold War-era deterrence missions, it replaced the Convair B-36 Peacemaker. A veteran of several wars, the B- 52 has dropped only conventional munitions in combat. It completed sixty years of continuous service with its original operator in 2015. The aircraft has become commonly referred to as the BUFF. In June 1947, the Air Force selected the Model 464-17 as a general bomber with a 9,000-pound payload, even though the XB-52 would be obsolete by that time. In June 2007, the U.S. Air Force disestablished the Strategic Air Command and absorbed its aircraft into the Air Combat Command. In 2010, all of the bombers were transferred from the ACC to the new Air Force Global Strike Command. After being upgraded between 2013 and 2015, the aircraft has been in service with the USAF since 1955.
It is the only bomber in the world that can carry a nuclear weapon; in total, it could weigh up to 480,000 pounds. It was updated to meet the military requirements and updated to the X-B52-17 in June 2007. The X-52 was the first bomber to carry a 10,000 pound payload, while the 464 was the general purpose bomber. The B-2 Spirit was the last bomber to have a nuclear payload, with a range of 12,000 miles and a top speed of 400 miles per hour. The Model 462-17 was the final bomber to be updated, and was the only one to be built with a payload of up to 10,00 pounds. It took its maiden flight in April 1952 and has been used in the Korean War and the Vietnam War. It can carry up to 100,000lbs of nuclear weapons. It had a top speeds of 400 mph and a combat radius of 5,000miles. It flies at 300 mph at 34,000 feet and has an altitude of 6,500 feet. It flew under the Strategic air command until it was disestablished in 1992 and its aircraft absorbed into the air combat command in 2010. It also flew in the Air combat command until the end of the Cold War in 1998. It remains in service today with the Air National Guard and the US Air Force as a training aircraft for airmen and airmen in Afghanistan and Iraq. It will be replaced by the F/A-18 Super Hornet in the 2030s.
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