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Monday, 10 October 2011

The future of the B-52


Mention the "B-52" to most people and they'll think of either an '80s pop group, a bad hair style, or an ancient bomber that's a relic of the Cold War. The name conjures up a vintage warplane featured in grainy footage from the Cuban Missile Crisis, but what may surprise people is to learn that in the second decade of the 21st century, the B-52 fleet still plays a key role in America's nuclear deterrence and conventional warfare strategy. Now the US Defense Department is upgrading the venerable USAF B-52 heavy bomber to allow the sixty-year old aircraft to continue in active front-line service until the 2040s. Read More
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3 comments:

  1. CthelMonday, 10 October 2011 at 11:35:00 GMT-7

    As the old USAF joke goes,
    When the last B-1 and the last B-2 are flown out to the boneyard, the crews will get a lift home in a B-52

    At this rate, in 2040 they'll announce their plans to re-wing the fleet with shiny new composite wings to keep them flying well into the 22nd century

    ReplyDelete
  2. Fruitbat44Monday, 10 October 2011 at 11:55:00 GMT-7

    Nice article David, though I did notice you bowlderised 'BUFF.' Was your * key broken? :-)

    ReplyDelete
  3. eonMonday, 10 October 2011 at 13:29:00 GMT-7

    Of course, if all else fails, we can just "back-engineer" a BUFF and build new ones. Maybe with advanced turbofans burning LH2 this time around (to keep the Greenies sort-of happy).

    cheers

    eon

    ReplyDelete

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