Zhukovsky, Moscow: The U.S. Air Force (USAF) will continue flying the B-52 strategic bomber into the foreseeable future, despite their having been in service for more than five decades, a senior U.S. military official said Tuesday.
The Boeing B-52 Stratofortress is a long-range strategic bomber flown by the USAF since 1955. A total of 744 B-52s have been produced, but only about 100 B-52H bombers remain in service.
General William Hobbins, Commander, U.S. Air Forces Europe, said Tuesday the B-52 had proven its reliability and could remain in service for a long time because the development of a new strategic bomber would be too costly.
Hobbins is leading a U.S Air Force delegation at the MAKS-2007 air show near Moscow, where the United States is showcasing several aircraft, including the B-52 bomber, the KC-135 Stratotanker aerial refueling tanker aircraft, the C-5 Galaxy strategic transport plane and F-15 Eagle and F-15 Falcon fighters.
The B-52 strategic bomber has the longest range without aerial refueling of any bomber (about 4,500 miles), and carries up to 60,000 pounds of ordnance, including nuclear bombs and nuclear-tipped missiles.
B-52s are stationed at two USAF bases – the 2nd Bomb Wing at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana and the 5th Bomb Wing at Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota.
