Today’s B-52 bomber has been massively overhauled to the point wherein it is almost an entirely different airplane than it was years ago, as either has gotten or will soon get new engines, internal weapons bays, electronic warfare systems, intelligence, and networking technologies and sensors.
These Cold War-era bombers could be described as being on different legs of a world tour simultaneously.
The United States Air Force’s B-52 Stratofortress has logged a lot of miles since it first took flight some seventy years ago – and now some of those Cold War-era bombers could be described as being on different legs of a world tour simultaneously. Currently, there are B-52Hs deployed to Europe, the Middle East, and the Indo-Pacific Theaters – a testament to the versatility and reliability of the platform.
Last month, in correlation with a Bomber Task Force (BTF) deployment, two B-52H bombers from the 5th Bomb Wing, Minot Air Force Base (AFB), North Dakota, arrived at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar, May 4. Those bombers joined four B-52s that had been previously sent to Al Udeid in late April. The bombers are there to protect the orderly and responsible withdrawal of U.S. and coalition forces from Afghanistan.