B-52 "Heavy Bomber"
Heavy Bomber
Length: 48.5 m
Wingspan: 56.4 m
Height: 12.4 m
Weight Empty: 83,250 kgs
Max T/O: 219,600 kgs
Max Speed: 1040kms/hr
Range: 14000kms
Ceiling:50,000 feet
Powerplant:Eight Pratt & Whitney engines TF33-P-3/103
Thrust: 17,000 pounds
Country:USAActive force 85
"B-52 Bomber
Mission
Air Combat Command's 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 conventional ordnance
with worldwide precision navigation capability.
Features
In a conventional conflict, the B-52 can perform air interdiction, offensive counter-air and maritime operations. During Desert
Storm, B-52s delivered 40 percent of all the weapons dropped by coalition forces. It is highly effective when used for ocean
surveillance, and can assist the U.S. Navy in anti-ship and mine-laying operations. Two B-52s, in two hours, can monitor
140,000 square miles (364,000 square kilometers) of ocean surface.
All B-52s are equipped with an electro-optical viewing system that uses platinum silicide forward-looking infrared and high
resolution low-light-level television sensors to augment the targeting, battle assessment, flight safety and terrain-avoidance
system, thus further improving its combat ability and low-level flight capability.
Pilots wear night vision goggles (NVGs) to enhance their night visual, low-level terrain-following operations. Night vision
goggles provide greater safety during night operations by increasing the pilot's ability to visually clear terrain and avoid enemy
radar.
Starting in 1989, an on-going modification incorporates the global positioning system, heavy stores adaptor beams for carrying
2,000 pound munitions and additional smart weapons capability. All aircraft are being modified to carry the AGM-142 Raptor
missile and AGM-84 Harpoon anti-ship missile.
The use of aerial refueling gives the B-52 a range limited only by crew endurance. It has an unrefueled combat range in excess
of 8,800 miles (14,080 kilometers).
The aircraft's flexibility was evident during the Vietnam War and, again, in Operation Desert Storm. B-52s struck wide-area
troop concentrations, fixed installations and bunkers, and decimated the morale of Iraq's Republican Guard. The Gulf War
involved the longest strike mission in the history of aerial warfare when B-52s took off from Barksdale Air Force Base, La.,
launched conventional air launched cruise missiles and returned to Barksdale -- a 35-hour, non-stop combat mission.
Background
For more than 35 years B-52 Stratofortresses have been the primary manned strategic bomber force for the United States. The
B-52 is capable of dropping or launching a significant array of weapons in the U.S. inventory. This includes gravity bombs,
cluster bombs and precision guided missiles. Updated with modern technology, the B-52 will continue into the 21st century as
an important element of our nation's defenses. Current engineering analysis show the B-52's life span to extend beyond the year
2045.
The B-52A first flew in 1954, and the B model entered service in 1955. A total of 744 B-52s were built with the last, a B-52H,
delivered in October 1962. Only the H model is still in the Air Force inventory and all are assigned to Air Combat Command.
The first of 102 B-52H's was delivered to Strategic Air Command in May 1961. The H model can carry up to 20 air launched
cruise missiles. In addition, it can carry the conventional cruise missile which was launched from B-52G models during Desert
Storm.
The B-52's electronic countermeasures suite is capable of protecting itself against a full range of air defense threat systems by
using a combination of electronic detection, jamming and infrared countermeasures. The B-52 can also detect and counter
missiles engaging the aircraft from the rear. These systems are undergoing continuous improvement in order to enable them to
continue to counter emerging threat systems.
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