The B-52 Stratofortress, first flown in 1952, remains a key asset for the U.S. Air Force. Despite its age, the B-52 will continue serving into the mid-21st century, with potential to last nearly 100 years. Its longevity is due to its adaptability, capable of launching long-range cruise missiles and potentially hypersonic weapons, making it relevant against modern threats.

The B-52 Stratofortress is probably the most iconic bomber in the world. Created at the start of the Cold War, its service life has been extended until at least the middle part of this century. In essence, the legendary strategic bomber will be retired around the hundredth anniversary of its first flight.

That’s an astonishing record for any aircraft, let alone a main bomber in service to the US Air Force. The B-52 was designed and had its maiden flight in April 1952. It became an active member of the US Air Force’s fleet a few years thereafter in 1955.

The Stratofortress was built in a time before the internet, satellite constellations, and when television was both a novelty as well as relegated to black-and-white channels.

Yet, the Air Force has decided to extend the lifespan of this bird by another handful of decades. This decision negates the argument that warfare has become so sophisticated that we’ll need entirely new, expensive systems.

In fact, war has been flattened and amalgamated. High-tech is everywhere, but so too is low-tech. The B-52 is not antiquated or irrelevant to a modern, near-peer fight.

B-52s can be equipped to fire both long-range cruise missiles and these platforms are being tested to launch what everyone in the Pentagon hopes will be a large and reliable arsenal of hypersonic weapons. It is possible that the B-52s could ultimately be fashioned into a mothership of sorts for massive drone swarms.

The B-52 is a testament to the fact that the defense acquisitions side of the Pentagon is broken. It defies all logic dominating the bureaucracy and Congress. The Stratofortress is, for all intents and purposes, ancient. But its usefulness is apparently timeless.

The B-52’s extended range and versatility enable it to counter sophisticated A2/AD defense systems, maintaining its strategic importance. “Their capabilities are inherently different,” Maj. Gen. Jason Armagost explained. “But a penetrating strike force, [including the B-21], might open up opportunities for a standoff strike force, [like the B-52], that then has follow-on opportunities for reacquiring denied or contested airspace.”

With the integration of advanced technologies such as a modern active electronically scanned array radar to improve its navigation, self-defense, and targeting capabilities, and the replacement of the bomber’s original ’60s-era engines with new Rolls-Royce-made F130 engines, the Air Force prepares the B-52 for a future where it can stand alongside the forthcoming B-21 Raider.

The Air Force is drawing up “robust” concepts of operations for how the B-21 will carry out missions, including alongside the B-52, which is also helping Air Force Global Strike Command identify potential future capability gaps and how to address them.

The weapons arming the B-52J will likely run the gamut, Armagost said — everything from gravity bombs that provide “affordable mass,” to cruise missiles for carrying out strikes beyond the range of enemy air defenses, to precision-guided munitions and highly specialized, “exquisite” weapons like hypersonics.

While the B-52’s massive modernization is vital, experts fear what might be found when it takes a closer look under its hood. Six decades of flying may have left it with metal fatigue, corrosion, stress fractures and other hidden structural issues.

The Air Force must make the B-52 modernization succeed, as “Long-range strike is absolutely nonnegotiable. Bombers are it,” said Heather Penney, a retired F-16 pilot and senior resident fellow at the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies.

The venerable B-52, while old, continues to adapt and prove its worth in the modern era of warfare. With ongoing upgrades, it stands ready to meet current and future threats, demonstrating that age alone is not a determinant of relevance in the ever-evolving landscape of military technology.

Relevant articles:
– B-52 Stratofortress: The ‘Old’ Bomber the U.S. Air Force Can’t Retire, The National Interest
– The new B-52: How the Air Force is prepping to fly century-old bombers, Defense News
– B-52: Is It Time for This Old Bomber to Retire?, The National Interest
– Will the B-52 Ever Become Obsolete?, National Instruments