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The Air Force wants its B-52s to keep flying until 2040, but the airplanes of that era won’t look like the ones we all remember from “Dr. Strangelove” — or even the bombers flying today. According to an official story from the weekend, Lt. Gen. Jim Kowalski, the head of Global Strike Command, says the B-52 is set to receive a round of upgrades that will help both the airmen inside each one and also the top-level commanders moving them around on their maps. Even if that commander’s suit is a darker shade of blue: These upgrades are integral to...

Along with the ICBM, it was one of the defining pieces of military technology during the Cold War: the B-52 bomber. Those who grew up in the 1960s and 1970s knew the B-52 Stratofortress as a central figure in the anxiety that flowed from the protracted staring match between the U.S. and the Soviet Union. On the one hand, it was reassuring to know that the Strategic Air Command was ready at a moment's notice to scramble its B-52s to counter any potential nuclear attack. On the other hand, if the bombers were flying that mission, well, things might well...

B-52 celebrates 60 Years by Staff Sgt. Brian Stives and Megan Meyer Air Force Global Strike Command Public Affairs 4/10/2012 - BARKSDALE AIR FORCE BASE, La. -- Air Force Global Strike Command will commemorate the 60th anniversary of the first flight of the B-52 Stratofortress on April 15, 1952. This flight was made by the YB-52 prototype in Seattle. Air Force Global Strike Command will commemorate the airframe's anniversary with events centered around the theme: "The B-52: An Icon of American Airpower." During the celebratory campaign, AFGSC will recognize the heritage and accomplishments of the B-52 and the people -...

Alive and kicking Air Force’s youngest B-52 Stratofortress turns 50 this year The Air Force’s youngest B-52 Stratofortress, Tail No. 1040, will hit a milestone this year, when it turns 50 years old. Of course, “young” is a relative term when you’re a long-range, heavy bomber that was created during the height of the Cold War. Tail No. 1040, the last of 744 B-52s to be manufactured, was delivered to the Air Force, in October 1962. “I don’t think anyone really knew this was going to be the last B-52 ever made,” said Robert Michel, the 5th Bomb Wing historian....

Operation Linebacker II, in a B-52 bomber over Hanoi, North Vietnam, on December 26, 1972.

America's newest, nuclear-tipped cruise missiles will be carried by an airplane already more than 50 years old, if the Air Force's strategy proceeds as planned. The Air Force has been eager to build a long-range bomber to carry nukes, preferably one that can evade radar while closing in on targets. But that program is languishing—officials have not even decided if the new planes will be piloted, robotic, or optionally manned—and, in the meantime, the B-52 Stratofortress will fill the gap. The tactic: Have the B-52 fire a new air-launched cruise missile far from the target and let the missile, not...

On a Friday in 1948, six aeronautical designers from the Boeing Company holed up in a hotel suite in Dayton, Ohio. They stayed put until Monday morning, except for the one who left to visit a hobby shop and returned with balsa wood, glue, carving tools and silver paint. The group emerged with a neatly bound 33-page proposal and an impressive 14-inch scale model of an airplane on a stand. Col. Pete Warden, the Air Force chief of bomber development, studied the result and pronounced, “This is the B-52.”

In September 2011, North Dakota Senator John Hoeven announced that the Senate Appropriations Committee had approved $88 million for further upgrades to the 76 B-52H bombers that remain out of the total production run of 744 aircraft. SNIP The B-52 has proven a remarkably durable aircraft that has adapted to a changing world. Too slow, heavy and unstealthy to fly into defended airspace, the BUFF's (Big Ugly Fat Fellow) days of standing 24-hour alerts against the outbreak of World War III are long over, but it still maintain its nuclear deterrent role as a platform for the new Long Range...

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Pentagon Could Limit Some B-52 Bombers to Non-Nuclear Role Wednesday, May 11, 2011 The United States could limit some of its B-52 bombers to non-nuclear missions in complying with a new strategic nuclear arms control treaty with Russia, Defense Department officials informed lawmakers last week (see GSN, Sept. 30, 2010). The New START pact entered into force on February 5. It requires the United States and Russia to each reduce deployment of strategic nuclear warheads to 1,550, down from a cap of 2,200 mandated by next year under an older treaty. It also limits the number of fielded warhead delivery...

Military planes loaded with nuclear weapons were flying around the US, could be getting ready to fly out to Iran.

News: Face of Defense: B-52 Tail-gunner Recalls MiG Downing Office of the Secretary of Defense Public Affairs Courtesy Story By Air Force Staff Sgt. Don Branum U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. - If the landmarks here could speak, the B-52 Stratofortress bomber sitting near the academy's north gate would have quite a Vietnam War story to tell. The crew of the "Diamond Lil," a B-52D, tail number 55-083, took off from Utapao Royal Thai Naval Airfield on Christmas Eve in 1972. The crew's mission was to bomb the North Vietnamese railroad yards at Thai Nguyen as part of Operation Linebacker...

The Via http://www.flickr.com/photos/code20photog/4024791969/  The Photographer Ken Koller 

More than 200 Airmen and two B-52H Stratofortress aircraft arrived here recently to replace the 23rd Expeditionary Bomb Squadron. The Airman are assigned to the 69th Bomb Squadron from Minot Air Force Base, N.D., and are supporting U.S. Pacific Command's continuous bomber presence. "Our number one priority is to support theater objectives and maintain peace and stability in the region," said Lt. Col. Michael Cardoza, the 69th EBS commander. "After that, we are looking forward to honing our combat skills in a variety of conventional mission sets. "We have spent the last year primarily focused on perfecting our nuclear mission....

The French Strategic Air Forces' top officer, Lt. Gen. Paul Fouilland, visited Air Force Global Strike Command here recently as part of a continuing dialogue between the two nations' strategic air forces. The Global Strike Command commander, Lt. Gen. Frank Klotz, toured French air bases in July to inaugurate what is intended to be a regular series of exchange visits. "In all of our meetings with our French counterparts, I've been very impressed with their professionalism, technical expertise, and absolute dedication to their deterrence mission," said General Klotz. "We have a lot in common, and can learn a great deal...

The Air Force hasn’t been told when to begin work on a new long-range strike aircraft, or even what it should be able to do. The Air Force is hoping there’s a new bomber included in the Fiscal 2012 defense budget planned for release next month. If there is, it will be the centerpiece of a new portfolio of long-range strike weapons systems, which will encompass standoff missiles, older bombers, airborne electronic attack (AEA), carrier-based aircraft, and possibly a quick-reaction missile able to hit any global target within an hour. Deliberations on the long-range strike system have been a subject...

More than 200 airmen and two B-52 bombers from Minot Air Force Base's newest B-52 squadron will deploy next week for Guam, said base officials. This will be the first deployment for the 69th Bomb Squadron, which was reactivated at the Minot base Sept. 4, 2009. Historically, it is the first time the 69th will deploy to Andersen AFB, Guam, since the Vietnam War. The 69th is a distinguished unit that also had deployments of its bombers during World War II. Led by Lt. Col. Michael Cordoza, the 69th is the second and newest B-52 squadron at Minot AFB. The...

The U.S. Air Force has awarded Northrop Grumman Corporation a $14 million contract extension to integrate its Common Link Integration Processing (CLIP) system on B-1B and B-52 aircraft, providing aircrews with enhanced battlefield awareness, communications capabilities and weapons management. Under the 17-month contract extension, Northrop Grumman will support software integration, ground and flight tests, and Air Force and joint interoperability certifications. All 66 aircraft in the B-1 bomber fleet and 94 aircraft in the B-52 fleet will be CLIP enabled. CLIP is a software package that allows existing platforms without a tactical data link, as well as platforms with different...

When the Air Force announced an $11.9 billion sustainment contract to Boeing last week for the venerable and enduring B-52 eyebrows shot up along the Potomac, especially on Capitol Hill. It appeared to provide roughly $127 million per airplane spread out over eight years, one hell of a lot of money for a plane that originally cost $9.3 million in 1955 (somewhere around $76 million per in current dollars). So we checked with the Air Force to get some details on just what was happening and why. Congressional aides were flabbergasted by the contract, for which no money has been...

The US Air Force has awarded Boeing a potentially $11.9 billion contract to support weapon system modernisation of its B-52 bomber fleet. "This contract will include several delivery orders over an eight-year period. This is a contracting vehicle that will allow engineering sustaining contracts, studies, production and other activities to occur in support of the B-52," says Boeing. The company expects to receive its first funds in relation to the indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity deal on 30 September, it says.

Intercontinental ballistic missile, B-2 Spirit, B-52 Stratofortress and B-1 Lancer units are competing in the first Global Strike Challenge, showcasing the capabilities and expertise of missile, bomber and security forces Airmen. "Global Strike Challenge will help us build pride and a culture of excellence," said Lt. Gen. Frank G. Klotz, the Air Force Global Strike Command commander. It is "the beginning of a new tradition-- the best of the past launching us into the future," he said. Global Strike Challenge pits units' top security forces, maintainers, and missile and bomber crews in head-to-head competition to be recognized as the best...

Following the longest flight yet by an air-breathing scramjet engine, the X-51A Waverider team is waiting to see whether the largely successful first launch of the hypersonic demonstrator will unlock funding for further development of the ­technology. The X-51A was launched over the Pacific on May 26, achieving scramjet ignition and acceleration, but the engine ran for only 200 sec. rather than the 300 sec. planned, and the vehicle reached around Mach 5 instead of accelerating beyond Mach 6. When it began to slow down and telemetry was lost, the flight was terminated and the vehicle destroyed, says Charles Brink,...

The B-52 entered into service in 1955 and was referred as one of the most powerful bombers. While that was true when the war plane first hit the skies, nearly 55 years later, it’s still true. Partly due to the testing B-52 Radar Navigator Christopher Rudd does at Edwards Air Force Base. “We’re an independent organization that plans, executes, analyzes, the new systems that’s coming on board for in this case the B-52,” said Rudd. From testing new software to new weaponry, they do it all to make sure despite its age, the B-52 is still top notch. “We are...

The US Air Force is moving forward with a major new upgrade for the half-century-old Boeing B-52H fleet, focused on replacing the bomber's radar, which is roughly 30 years old. The Northrop Grumman APQ-166 strategic radar is nearing the end of its useful life and will be replaced on 76 B-52Hs, the USAF says in a request for information issued to industry. The new system will perform all of the mission functions now performed by the APQ-166 mechanically scanned array, but provide "new and enhanced capabilities", the air force says. Although active electronically scanned array (AESA) technology is now available...

Approximately 150 maintenance Airmen, 2nd Bomb Wing pilots and support members recently returned from Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, where they participated in the 10-day Exercise Red Flag-Alaska. The exercise is designed to provide realistic and demanding air-combat training to flying unit members from across the Air Force, Department of Defense and Allied nations. "Everyone who participates (in the exercise) benefits greatly from the training," said Maj. Thomas Aranda, the 96th Bomb Squadron assistant director of operations. "The aviators enjoy some of the most realistic air-combat training available and the maintainers push the edge of the envelope by generating combat...

1024 x 818 pixels . . . 2486 x 1987 pixels . . .  via and more info http://www.flickr.com/photos/av8pix/2490787779/   1630 x 1202 pixels . . . 2306 x 1700 pixels . . .  via and more info http://ChamorroBible.org/gpw/gpw-200905.htm  

The new START treaty that would cut the number of U.S. and Russian nuclear weapons could also prompt the United States to trim the bomber leg of its nuclear force. Limits that reduce the number of deployed "launchers" to 700 could encourage U.S. nuclear policy makers to rely more on land-based and sea-based ballistic missiles and less on B-2 and B-52 bombers, said Tom Collina, research director at the Arms Control Association. "The bomber leg of the triad is not what you think about when you think about survivability and quick response," he said. At present, the United States has...

The U.S. Air Force is gearing up for the first of four planned test flights of a hypersonic aircraft designed to operate for much longer durations and cover far greater distances than previous platforms of its type. The maiden flight of the X-51 Waverider aircraft — the first U.S. hypersonic vehicle to fly in six years — is scheduled to take place later in March. Boeing Defense, Space & Security Systems of St. Louis has been developing the aircraft since 2003 on behalf of the Air Force Research Laboratory and Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. The missile-shaped X-51 will be...

Air Force Global Strike Command's top officer emphasized his command's dedication to the bomber mission during the Air Force Association's Air Warfare Symposium and Technology Exposition Feb. 19 here. "Let me state right up front," said Lt. Gen. Frank Klotz, the AFGSC commander. "Global Strike Command (Airmen are) absolutely committed to providing robust and relentless advocacy for current and future bomber capabilities; in the conventional, as well as in the nuclear realm." Bombers have always been at the "heart and soul" of the Air Force since its very beginnings, General Klotz said. "The ability to hold at risk or strike...

In addition to violently roiling the Air Force for months, the infamous “Minot Incident” of August 2007 did something else. It highlighted a new view of the future of nuclear-armed cruise missiles. That event saw B-52H bombers unwittingly fly operational Advanced Cruise Missiles from Minot AFB, N.D., down to Barksdale AFB, La. Mostly unremarked is that weapons were being taken south for decommissioning. The Defense Department is retiring the nuclear-armed AGM-129 ACM entirely. As a result of strategic nuclear arms treaty obligations, the Pentagon scrapped planned life extension programs for the ACM. DOD moved to eliminate the ACM entirely and...

In a flight test reminiscent of the early days of the historic X-15 program 50 years earlier, the X-51A Waverider was carried aloft for the first time over Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., Wednesday, Dec. 9 by an Air Force Flight Test Center B-52H Stratofortress. The "captive carry" test was a key milestone in preparation for the X-51 to light its supersonic combustion ramjet engine and propel the WaverRider at hypersonic speed for about 5 minutes, before plunging into the Pacific Ocean. That flight test is currently planned in about two months, said Charlie Brink, X-51A program manager with the...

Barksdale AFB LA (SPX) Feb 03, 2010 Air Force Global Strike Command officials here assumed responsibility for the Air Force's nuclear-capable bomber force Feb. 1. This action completes the step-by-step transfer of all Air Force long-range, nuclear-capable assets to the Air Force's newest major command. The nation's intercontinental ballistic missile force became part of Air Force Global Strike Command on Dec. 1, 2009. The command staff will gain the 8th Air Force and its three bomb wings, one each at Barksdale Air Force Base, Whiteman AFB, Mo.; and Minot AFB, N.D. Those organizations control all of the B-52 Stratofortress and...

Boeing announced that a B-52H upgraded with new communication technology successfully accomplished its first test flight at Edwards Air Force Base on Jan. 17. The Combat Network Communications Technology (CONECT) upgrade allows B-52H crews to receive and send real-time digital information during their missions. The more than three-hour flight around the Edwards area included an initial system build-up test, interphone test and communication test. The test process included power-on of each system in flight to determine that there were no adverse effects on flight-essential systems.

1. USAF B-2 Spirit stealth bomber, with a Prandtl-Glauert Condensation Cloud, over the Pacific Ocean photographed by Bobbi Garcia. More info about the photo: http://web.archive.org/web/20031205232202/www.edwards.af.mil/archive/2003/2003-archive-garcia_photo.html Watch the first 15 seconds of this video: http://www.as.northropgrumman.com/products/b2spirit/assets/vm_b2_tx.wmv Via http://chamorrobible.org/gpw/gpw-20040817.htm 2. USAF B-52 Stratofortress loaded with Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAM) photographed by USAF Tech Sgt. Richard Freeland on 15 April 2003 during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Via http://chamorrobible.org/gpw/gpw-20051129.htm 3. USAF B-1B Lancer bomber with a Prandtl-Glauert Condensation Cloud photographed in Southwest Asia by USAF Staff Sgt. Shelley R. Gill on 16 January 2004. Via http://chamorrobible.org/gpw/gpw-20041216.htm 4. B-2 Spirit, BUFF, and BONE photographed by USAF...

The U.S. Air Force has backed away from developing a new electronic warfare aircraft. Now it will rely on UAVs equipped with jammers, and electronic jamming pods on non-specialized (as jamming aircraft) warplanes. This was not the preferred approach. Last year, the air force revived a program to convert some of its B-52 heavy bombers into radar jamming aircraft. This would be done by equipping the bombers with jamming pods (that are similar in appearance to large bombs). The air force planned to buy 24 sets of pods, for a force of 34 B-52s. Each pair of pods would cost...

For the second time in less than a year, the U.S. Air Force has relieved the commander of a combat wing. This time it was the 5th Bomb Wing, a B-52 outfit. Previously, the commander of one of the three Minuteman ICBM wings was relieved. The three missile wings control 450 American Minuteman III ICBMs. In this case, two other senior officers were also relieved (one of them the guy in charge of the Wing Maintenance Squadron.) In both cases, the reason was "loss of confidence in his ability to command". That's milspeak for "too many little things have gone...

The B-52 aircraft deployed as part of the U.S. Air Force fleet are to be equipped with secure Extremely High Frequency Communication Systems to enable them to remain in contact with other elements of the military in space, in the air and on the ground. The revolutionary EHF has been found to be more reliable and less susceptible to atmospheric conditions than other frequencies. The Boeing Co. said Tuesday it received a $5.4 million initial contract to begin work on developing technologies required to integrate the new EHF satellite communication system on the U.S. Air Force B-52 fleet. No timeline...

Minot Air Force Base is preparing to activate a new B-52 bomber squadron that will send 10 more B-52s to the North Dakota base. The new unit will be the fourth B-52 squadron in the Air Force. Minot base already has one squadron and Barksdale Air Force Base has the other two B-52 units. The Air Force has not said whether the planes will be transferred from Barksdale or taken from backup aircraft. Air Force officials say adding the new squadron at Minot is part of plans to put a stronger emphasis on nuclear mission training for B-52 units.

August 1, 2008: The first of 18 U.S. Air Force B-52H bombers has been retired. All 18 will have been decommissioned and put into storage by next Spring. That will leave 76 still active. The retired B-52Hs have been in service 47 years. These aircraft could continue for another decade or more, but it was decided (between Congress and the air force) that the money saved from not maintaining such elderly aircraft could be better used elsewhere.

Are we going to have an October surprise, an attack on Iran by either the Bush administration or by Israel to stop the regime from becoming a nuclear power? It could happen - and alter the dynamics of the presidential race in the blink of an eye - but only if Israel pulls the trigger. Don't expect the United States to drop bombs anytime soon

Near U.S. 52 and Minnesota 55 in Inver Grove Heights, a memorial marks the spot where an Air Force B-52 bomber slammed into a cornfield 50 years ago today, killing seven of eight crewmen aboard. About 15 miles west, Bloomington resident Dave Mattsson pays tribute to the crash in the basement of his Cape Cod-style home. The 45-year-old aviation history buff has spent parts of a decade researching the Cold War crash and collecting everything from black and white photos to pieces of the plane. "Anything old you can touch tells a story," said Mattsson, a former skydiving instructor and...

(CNN) -- All six airmen aboard the B-52 bomber that crashed Monday off Guam's northwest coast were killed, Air Force officials confirmed Wednesday. Aboard Raider 21 were Maj. Christopher M. Cooper, 33; Maj. Brent D. Williams, 37; Capt. Michael K. Dodson, 31; 1st Lt. Joshua D. Shepherd, 26; 1st Lt. Robert D Gerren, 32; and Col. George Martin. The plane crashed about 30 miles northwest of Guam, the Air Force said in a statement. Air Force crews switched from a rescue operation to a recovery operation over the 7,000-square-mile crash site, said Air Force spokeswoman Sgt. Ashleigh Bryant.

http://www.shreveporttimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080721/NEWS01/80720010&referrer=FRONTPAGECAROUSEL

Ktal has learned that a B-52 deployed from Barksdale crashed in the waters off Guam this morning. TheB-52 was scheduled to fly in Guam's Liberation Day parade, when for unknown reasons, the aircraft crashed. An extensive search is underway for the 6 crew members aboard that aircraft ...Their conditions are unknown.... we'll bring you more information as soon as it becomes available to us.

1st week in May 2008, Western Pacific Ocean, off the coast of Guam, USA -- Two USN F/A-18 Hornet fighter jets intercept the low flying USAF B-52 Stratofortress heavy bomber as it performs a rigging maneuver to identify the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68).Large, medium, and the above smaller photo via http://ChamorroBible.org/gpw/gpw-20050822.htm (photo 5). The Story Navy, Air Force train together to showcase capabilities By Staff Sgt. Stephen Teel, 36th Wing Public Affairs, Andersen AFB, Guam, USA http://www.GuamPDN.com/guampublishing/pacificedge/data/EkEkEFulppeoOcKtLi.htm

1. B-2 Spirit stealth heavy bomber (left), B-52 Stratofortress heavy bomber (center), B-1B Lancer supersonic heavy bomber (right) fly in formation on 10 May 2008 for the 75th Anniversary of Barksdale AFB celebration. Large or medium photo via http://chamorrobible.org/gpw/gpw-20051129.htm (photo 12). 2. And here's the B-52 Stratofortress (left) and the B-2 Spirit (right) flying in formation on 10 May 2008. Large or medium or huge photo via http://chamorrobible.org/gpw/gpw-20051129.htm (photo 11). The Photographer United States Air Force Staff Sgt. Samuel E. Rogers, 1st Fighter Wing Public Affairs, Langley Air Force Base

Hi thereYou're apparently here because youre interested in the above image. Well, here's the history of it. On the 21st of this month, I ran across a message somewhere on usenet that said something along the lines of "Well, looks like the terrorists lost the toss". This sat in my head for a bit, and I morphed it into the "The terrorists have won the toss, and have elected to receive". Now all I needed was a good photo of a 52 or something. Originally, I had intended to find an image I had seen before of a 52 doing ...

A B-52 bomber on a training mission from Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana was forced to make an emergency landing at the Minot International Airport early this morning. According to a press release from Minot Air Force Base Public Affairs office, the five crew members from the 20th Bomb Squadron at Barksdale declared an in-flight emergency due to aircraft malfunctions and deteriorating weather conditions at the base. The B-52 just recently left the airport. No one from the Minot Air Force Base could be reached for comment on the situation. In the press release it stated that the 5th...

PALMDALE - A B-52 Stratofortress that once was on display at the Oklahoma State Fairgrounds now graces the Joe Davies Heritage Airpark at Air Force Plant 42. Transported in pieces to Palmdale in June, the massive bomber is the biggest of more than a dozen planes on display at the municipal airpark, which was created to showcase aircraft with links to Palmdale. Although none of the 1950s-era bombers were built at Plant 42, some have been modified there, and some B-52s assigned to Edwards Air Force Base have used Plant 42 for refueling as well as practice takeoffs and landings....

Raid of two B-52 on Tora-Bora TORA BORA (Afghanistan), 10 déc (AFP) - Two American bombers B-52 simultaneously rammed Monday towards 7H00 local (2H30 GMT), the mountainous zone of Tora Bora (is), den of group Al-Qaïda, Ossama Ben Laden, noted a journalist of the AFP. The two heavy bombers, shifted approximately km, carried out a passage to the top of Tora Bora and released each one a series of bombs which exploded in a thunderous noise. It was the first raid of B-52 of Monday. Previously, during all the night of Sunday to Monday, of the raids of American ...