The Boeing B-52 Stratofortress is the epitome of an eight-engine heavy bomber and a cornerstone of the US Air Force since entering service in 1955. The B-52H, however, remains in service today, with 72 aircraft still flying as of early 2024. These 1961 and 1962 vintage aircraft are forecast to stay in service well into the 2050s, helped by a series of upgrades that include new Rolls-Royce engines.
The B-52 was designed as a long-range strategic bomber able to perform global missions without foreign bases, right after World War II. First flying in April 1952, the aircraft began inventory as the B-52A model, and it did not take long before it was supercharged by a better-upgraded variant, the B-52B. The B-52s were introduced to service with the US Air Force in June 1955 and were engaged in several wars, from the Vietnam War to the Gulf War and Operation Enduring Freedom.
The only operational variant is the B-52H, first delivered in 1961. Powered by Pratt & Whitney TF33-P-3 turbofan engines, this fleet has gone through many upgrades through the years, most of them related to electronic equipment, avionics, and weapons. Out of 102 built from 1961 to 1962, today, 72 are still flying with the 5th Bomb Wing based at Minot AFB in North Dakota, the 2nd Bomb Wing based at Barksdale AFB in Louisiana, and the Air Force Reserve Command’s 307th Bomb Wing based at Barksdale AFB.
The oldest B-52H in service, serial number 60-0001, Memphis Belle IV, was last seen flying in December 2023. How much of its original airframe it retains is questionable, however. As Colonel Robert Durkin, commander of the 28th Bombardment Wing, said in 1982, “I would be surprised if there’s an original rivet in any of those airplanes we have out on the ramp. It’s been re-winged. It’s been re-skinned. It’s been re-tailed.”
The B-52, even though it is incredibly ancient, is likely to remain in service for decades to come. Among the ongoing upgrades for the B-52 are new Rolls-Royce engines, improved avionics, radar, communications, weapons, and cockpits. These changes will now mean that a radically improved variant, described as the B-52J, will feature the Rolls-Royce F130 engines, which boost the aircraft’s performance and fuel efficiency while also lowering maintenance expenses.
The adaptability of the B-52s was recently tested in an exercise known as Bayou Vigilance, in which two B-52s from Barksdale AFB touched down at Chennault International Airport, which is a civilian airfield in Lake Charles, Louisiana, in the North American continent; it dealt with an exercise relating to readiness and adaptability of the aircraft in global operations. The capability should not be taken lightly,” said Lt. Col. Jared Patterson, 20th Bomb Squadron commander. “By demonstrating our ability to land at a civilian airfield, we’re demonstrating our ability to conduct operations. We are demonstrating a capability, and that capability is to land a B-52 anywhere across the globe.”
The B-52 Stratofortress, better known as the “BUFF” (Big Ugly Fat Fella), is still a force to be reckoned with in the US Air Force today. It will enjoy a very long service life, supplemented with constant modernization, and this legendary aircraft will be a vital part of the strategic bomber fleet for the United States for generations to come.