Posted on 02/12/2018 3:44:34 PM PST by markomalley
The Air Force on Monday revealed its long-range plan to eventually jettison its supersonic B-1 and stealthy B-2 bombers earlier than planned while keeping the venerable B-52, an aging Cold War workhorse that first flew in 1954 and was last built in 1962, flying into the 2050s.
The Air Force confirmed that it plans to send its two newer bombers into early retirement, but keep the B-52 in the inventory well past its 100th birthday.
“With an adequate sustainment and modernization focus, including new engines, the B-52 has a projected service life through 2050, remaining a key part of the bomber enterprise well into the future,” said Gen. Robin Rand, Air Force Global Strike Command commander, in a statement issued by the Air Force.
But today’s B-52 has evolved from the planes first flown in the '50s. The Stratofortress has undergone numerous upgrades and modernization over the years, including the addition of an advanced communications system that displays real-time intelligence feeds overlaid on moving maps.
The B-1 conventional bomber and the B-2 stealth bomber are also getting upgrades in the Air Force budget, but eventually their mission will be taken over by the new B-21 long-range stealth bomber, now in the design stage. B-1s were supposed to fly into the 2040s and B-2s until 2058, but the new plan moves their retirement up to the early 2030s, Air Force Magazine reported.
While the B-52 will continue as a conventional bomber, it will also carry the new long-range stand-off nuclear cruise missile.
The Air Force budget request for fiscal 2019 includes money to replace the B-52’s “inefficient and aging engines,” according to the Pentagon budget overview.
“The Air Force will update the B-52 bomber fleet and fund development of replacement engines,” said Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson. “We will also continue necessary B-1 and B-2 modifications to keep them relevant until the B-21s come on line.”
The Air Force plan calls for the B-1s and B-2s to be “incrementally retired,” once enough B-21s are operational. “If the force structure we have proposed is supported by the Congress, bases that have bombers now will have bombers in the future,” Wilson said. “They will be B-52s and B-21s.”
The Air Force has 76 B-52s based primarily in Barksdale Air Force Base, La.; Minot Air Force Base, N.D., and Andersen Air Force Base, Guam.
In all, 744 B-52s were produced by Seattle, Wash., and Wichita, Kan., plants between 1952 and 1962, according to Boeing, the maker of the iconic plane.
Why does the idea of (yet another) Air Farce B-21 procurement boondoogle scare the bazillions of dollars out of me?
My God. The type will be 100 years old at retirement.
Like still flying Spads today.
The OLD DOG will outlive us all.
Aerodynamic Physics haven’t really changed much in the last 50 years.
The dreaded seven-engine approach.
A great design is a great design. How many C-47s (DC-3s) still flying around the world? Granted they are not in active combat roles but...
As long as we’re bombing tribesman with no real air defense, the B-52 is a bargain. It also shines when we have a week or 2 to knock the stuffings out of a 3rd world countries Sov-— er Russian supplied air defense. Then the Buffs can roll in at 30,000 feet and do as they please. The B1 & B-2 require a lot of maintainence and, in the case of the B-2, special basing requirements.
Doesn’t an airframe eventually wear out? Fatigue of the metal ... I’m no aero engineer, just wondering...
You mean Major Kong?!
That’s what I am wondering. However, are there any original parts left on these planes, or has everything been systematically replaced over time?
I would worry about metal fatigue.
If everything the Gubbmint bought was as good as the B-52, M 1911, and M2 our taxes would be less than 1%.
Wouldn’t it be more cost effective to build brand new B-52s instead of upgrading the old planes?
The wings are subject to stress because they flex many feet up and down during flights and maneuvering. There have already been some rewinging programs that replace the fatigued structures in the B-52 fleet.
The engines are the weakest link now. You can expect future B-52s to be re- engined with 4 modern high bypass turbofans like used on today's jumbo jets. There would be both performance and fuel economy benefits to that program.
The biggest problem with the B-52 fleet is getting and maintaining ready spares. Most of the materials, components and even manufacturing technologies are now out of production and in some cases simply outmoded. The USAF has to go to the boneyard to cut out the spares from the retired B-52s in storage. By the SALT treaties we have been destroying B-52s and the pool of parts is diminishing as the spares are melted into beer cans.
As long as it’s well maintained to prevent corrosion and operated within the elastic region of stress, an airframe can theoretically last forever. Damaged parts can be replaced. It then comes down to the cost to refurbish or replace corroded or brittle pieces versus a new aircraft.
Additional information about the engine replacement program:
https://www.defensenews.com/air/2017/12/22/air-force-solidifies-options-for-b-52-engine-replacement/
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