B-52s to fly until at least 2050 with new engines for improved fuel economy and range. B-52 to outlive B-1 and B-2 bombers, and will receive AESA radars for improved situational awareness.

The enhanced B-52 platform is expected to play a critical role in the Air Force’s bomber strategy for years to come.

First launched in the 1950s, it survived Cold War missions with live nuclear bombs, fought in Vietnam, dropped nearly half the munitions in Desert Storm, and even shot down MiGs. Over time, it traded ...

First taking to the skies in April 1952, and introduced into the US Air Force in 1955, the B-52 Stratofortress has since become a mainstay of American air power. Originally developed as a nuclear ...