| Air
Combat Command's B-52 is a long-range, heavy bomber that can perform a
variety of missions. The bomber is capable of flying at high subsonic speeds
at altitudes up to 50,000 feet (15,166.6 meters). It can carry nuclear
or conventional ordnance with worldwide precision navigation capability.
In a conventional conflict, the B-52 can perform air interdiction, offensive counter-air and maritime operations. During Desert Storm, B-52s delivered 40 percent of all the weapons dropped by coalition forces. It is highly effective when used for ocean surveillance; two B-52s, in two hours, can monitor 140,000 square miles (364,000 square kilometers) of ocean surface. Starting in 1989, an on-going modification incorporates the global positioning system, heavy stores adapter beams for carrying 2,000 pound munitions and additional smart weapons capability. The use of aerial refueling gives the B-52 a range limited only by crew endurance. It has an unrefueled combat range in excess of 8,800 miles (14,080 kilometers). The aircraft's flexibility was evident during the Vietnam War and, again, in Operation Desert Storm. The Gulf War involved the longest strike mission in the history of aerial warfare when B-52s took off from Barksdale Air Force Base, La., launched conventional air launched cruise missiles and returned to Barksdale -- a 35-hour, non-stop combat mission. The B-52 is capable of dropping or launching the widest array of weapons in the U.S. inventory. This includes gravity bombs, cluster bombs and precision guided missiles. The B-52A first flew in 1954, and the B model entered service in 1955. A total of 744 B-52s were built with the last, a B-52H, delivered in October 1962. Only the H model is still in the Air Force inventory and is assigned to Air Combat Command and the Air Force Reserves. The
first of 102 B-52H's was delivered to Strategic Air Command in May 1961.
The H model can carry up to 20 air launched cruise missiles. In addition,
it can carry the conventional cruise missile that was launched from B-52G
models during Desert Storm. Current engineering analyses show the B-52's
life span to extend beyond the year 2045.
General Characteristics Primary
Function: Heavy bomber
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| An icon of the Cold War, Boeing's mighty B-52 is without a doubt the most famous jet bomber ever built, having now served for almost 40 years. The last in the line of Boeing 'heavies', the Stratofortress has gone on to break all records for longevity, firstly with Strategic Air Command, and more recently with Air Combat Command. This volume details the whole B-52 story, from its inception as the ultimate conventional 'Cold War warrior', through testing times over south-east Asia, to its extensive role in the Gulf conflict. Full technical specifications, production listings and never before published photographs make this book the work of reference on the USAF's most 'senior' combat aircraft. |
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