The Boeing B-52 Stratofortress is an American long-range, subsonic, jet-powered strategic bomber. The B-52 was designed and built by Boeing, which has continued to provide support and upgrades.

For more than 60 years, B-52s have been the backbone of the strategic bomber force for the United States. 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, precision guided missiles and joint direct attack munitions.

The B-52 is the most combat capable bomber in the U.S. inventory. Due to its high mission-capable rate, large payload, long range, persistence and ability to employ both nuclear and conventional precision standoff weapons, the B-52 continues to be a critical contributor to the U.S. National Security Strategy.

Feb 25, 2025 · B-52, U.S. long-range heavy bomber, designed by the Boeing Company in 1948, first flown in 1952, and first delivered for military service in 1955. Though originally intended to be an atomic-bomb carrier capable of reaching the Soviet Union , it has proved adaptable to a number of missions, and dozens of B-52s remained in service in the early ...

In a conventional conflict, the B-52 can perform strategic attack, close-air support, air interdiction, offensive counter-air and maritime operations. During Desert Storm, B-52s delivered 40 percent of all the weapons dropped by coalition forces.

One of the most recognizable aircraft in the world and an icon of the United States’ Cold War deterrent, the B-52 Stratofortress was for decades the U.S. Air Force’s primary strategic nuclear...

Feb 12, 2024 · While the B-52′s massive modernization is vital, Penney fears what the Air Force might find when it takes a closer look under its hood.

Data from B-52H: Maximum speed of 560 knots (1050 km/h) Flyaway cost per produced aircraft US$9.28 million in 1962. Crew: 5. The H-model was originally equipped with a 20 mm Vulcan Gatling gun in a tail gun turret. (...)

After it became operational in 1955, the B-52 remained the main long-range heavy bomber of the US Air Force during the Cold War, and it continues to be an important part of the USAF bomber force today. Nearly 750 were built before production …

The 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 precision guided conventional ordnance …