Through a $250 million deal, the Air Force will work with B-52 manufacturer Boeing to build missile carriage hardware and software, and “test” LRSO integration. This yaw adjustable crosswind landing gear would be preset by the crew according to wind observations made on the ground. Tags: Bombers Military Technology World B-2 B-21 B-1 B-52 B-52, B-2 and B-21 Bombers Are Getting Nuclear-Tipped Cruise Missiles by … IWBU is expected to cost roughly $313 million. It was required to cruise at 300 mph (260 knots, 480 km/h) at 34,000 feet (10,400 m) with a combat radius of 5,000 miles (4,300 nautical miles, 8,000 km). For example, a pair of B-52s, in two hours, can monitor 140,000 square miles (364,000 square kilometers) of ocean surface. [citation needed], During the Vietnam War, B-52D tail gunners were credited with shooting down two MiG-21 "Fishbeds". Completion of the destruction task was verified by Russia via satellite and first-person inspection at the AMARC facility. [75], In July 2013, the Air Force began a fleet-wide technological upgrade of its B-52 bombers called Combat Network Communications Technology (CONECT) to modernize electronics, communications technology, computing, and avionics on the flight deck. [184] The remainder were retired between 1982 and 1983. New countermeasures: Phase VI ECM modification was the sixth major ECM program for the B-52. Dorr, Robert F. "Stratofortress… The Big One from Boeing.". Possible contender engines to replace the TF33 including the General Electric CF34, the General Electric Passport, the Pratt & Whitney PW815 and the Rolls-Royce BR725. The B-52's nuclear option of choice is the AGM-86B air-launched cruise missile, commonly referred to as the ALCM. The upgrades were: These modifications increased weight by nearly 24,000 lb (10,900 kg), and decreased operational range by 8–11%. [109], Those B-52Gs not converted as cruise missile carriers underwent a series of modifications to improve conventional bombing. ", "Last B-52G eliminated under nuclear arms treaty", "A roaring farewell at Wurtsmith air base. The ARC-210 allows machine-to-machine transfer of data, useful on long-endurance missions where targets may have moved before the arrival of the B-52. It has been operated by the United States Air Force (USAF) since the 1950s. Two competitors, Northrop Grumman and a joint team of Boeing and Lockheed Martin, submitted proposals in 2014;[229] Northrop Grumman was awarded a contract in October 2015. The B-52 completed sixty years of continuous service with its original operator in 2015. Two bombers will have the ability to carry 40 weapons in place of the 36 that three B-52s can carry. Production of the initial 225 AGM-86B missiles began in fiscal year 1980. [33][34], On Thursday, 21 October 1948, Boeing engineers George S. Schairer, Art Carlsen, and Vaughn Blumenthal presented the design of a four-engine turboprop bomber to the chief of bomber development, Colonel Pete Warden. [226] The B-52 has the capacity to "loiter" for extended periods, and can deliver precision standoff and direct fire munitions from a distance, in addition to direct bombing. According to one source: "The optimal altitude for a combat mission was around 43,000 feet, because to exceed that height would rapidly degrade the plane's range. [174], On 24 December 1972, during the same bombing campaign, the B-52 Diamond Lil was headed to bomb the Thái Nguyên railroad yards when tail gunner Airman First Class Albert E. Moore spotted a fast-approaching MiG-21. On 13 January 1964, the vertical stabilizer broke off a B-52D in winter storm turbulence; On 18 June 1965, two B-52Ds collided mid-air during a refueling maneuver at 33,000 feet above the South China Sea. The late B-52G models eliminated the ailerons altogether and added an extra spoileron to each wing. Although he agreed that turbojet propulsion was the future, General Howard A. Craig, Deputy Chief of Staff for Materiel, was not very enthusiastic about a jet-powered B-52, since he felt that the jet engine had not yet progressed sufficiently to permit skipping an intermediate turboprop stage. Flying at Mach 3, it quickly flew out in front of the bombers, reaching the missile site before the bomber flew into the range of the SA-2. Returning to the hotel, the Boeing team was joined by Bob Withington and Maynard Pennell, two top Boeing engineers who were in town on other business. The electronic countermeasures capability of the B-52 was expanded with Rivet Rambler (1971) and Rivet Ace (1973). Willis, David. The B-52H Stratofortress is a long-range, heavy bomber that can perform a variety of missions. [25] In January 1948, Boeing was instructed to thoroughly explore recent technological innovations, including aerial refueling and the flying wing. [95] Due to twisting of the thin main wing, conventional outboard flap type ailerons would lose authority and therefore could not be used. [38], Although the full-size mock-up inspection in April 1949 was generally favorable, range again became a concern since the J40s and early model J57s had excessive fuel consumption. The ending of the Cold War led to cutbacks in this program, and its expensive maintenance eventually resulted it in being abandoned in favor of life extensions to the original ALCM. The bomber is capable of flying at high subsonic speeds at altitudes of up to 50,000 feet (15,166.6 meters). While a similar system was also used in SRAM, its shorter range and much shorter flight times meant the drift rate of the system was not a serious concern as long as the bomber could feed it accurate information just before launch, to "zero out" the drift. [26] Noting stability and control problems Northrop was experiencing with their YB-35 and YB-49 flying wing bombers, Boeing insisted on a conventional aircraft, and in April 1948 presented a US$30 million (US$319 million today[27]) proposal for design, construction, and testing of two Model 464-35 prototypes. "Boeing's Timeless Deterrent, Part 2: B-52 – The Permanent Spear Tip". [99] The navigational capabilities of the B-52 were later augmented with the addition of GPS in the 1980s. [141] In a demonstration of the B-52's global reach, from 16 to 18 January 1957, three B-52Bs made a non-stop flight around the world during Operation Power Flite, during which 24,325 miles (21,145 nmi, 39,165 km) was covered in 45 hours 19 minutes (536.8 smph) with several in-flight refuelings by KC-97s. [173] Of the losses, 17 were shot down in combat operations, one was a write-off because of combat damage, 11 crashed by accidents, 1 decommissioned because of combat damage, and 1 burned at the airport. The B-52’s nuclear option of choice is the AGM-86B air-launched cruise missile, commonly referred to as the ALCM. The remaining bombers, minus one more that turned back due to mechanical problems, continued towards the target. [132], The B-52B was the first version to enter service with the USAF on 29 June 1955 with the 93rd Bombardment Wing at Castle AFB, California. [84] The tail gunner in early model B-52s was located in the traditional location in the tail of the plane, with both visual and radar gun laying systems; in later models the gunner was moved to the front of the fuselage, with gun laying carried out by radar alone, much like the B-58 Hustler's tail gun system. [116] The 2019 "Safety Rules for U.S. Strategic Bomber Aircraft" manual subsequently confirmed the removal of B61-7 and B83-1 gravity bombs from the B-52H' approved weapons configuration. The Boeing B-52 Stratofortress is an American long-range, subsonic, jet-powered strategic bomber.The B-52 was designed and built by Boeing, which has continued to provide support and upgrades.It has been operated by the United States Air Force (USAF) since the 1950s. Quail, originally designed for the high-altitude mission, was modified with the addition of a barometric altimeter to allow it to fly at lower altitudes. "Wing decertified, COs sacked for nuke mistake". became of great strategic importance. It improved the aircraft's self-protection capability in the dense Soviet air defense environment. The ALCM force will be consolidated at Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota, and all excess cruise missile bodies will be destroyed. [60][144] The flight passed over Seattle, Fort Worth and the Azores. The ALCM traces its history to the ADM-20 Quail missile, which began development in February 1956. [219], In February 2015, hull 61-0007 Ghost Rider became the first stored B52 to fly out of Davis-Monthan Air Force Base after six years in store. The B-52 set many records over the next few years. During the Operation Desert Storm, the CALCM had been carried on the B-52G and wing-mounted pylons. The air-launched cruise missile had become operational four years earlier, in December 1982. To reach the intended range, this new Extended Range Version (ERV) would have to be lengthened to contain more fuel, or external fuel tanks would have to be added. [36] A notable feature of the landing gear was the ability to pivot both fore and aft main landing gear up to 20° from the aircraft centerline to increase safety during crosswind landings (allowing the aircraft to "crab" or roll with a sideways slip angle down the runway). ", "Lockheed Martin's Sniper ATP Continues Successful B-52 Integration Test Program. The B-52 turned out the lights in Baghdad. Both conventional and nuclear versions of the weapon are required to reach initial operational capability (IOC) before the retirement of their respective ALCM versions, around 2030. Seven B-52Gs from Barksdale AFB launched 35 missiles at designated launch points in the U.S. Central Command's area of responsibility to attack high-priority targets in Iraq. [165], Neil Sheehan, war correspondent, writing before the mass attacks on heavily populated cities including North Vietnam's capital. Thirty B-52Gs were further modified to carry up to 12 AGM-84 Harpoon anti-ship missiles each, while 12 B-52Gs were fitted to carry the AGM-142 Have Nap stand-off air-to-ground missile. [53] On 9 June 1952, the February 1951 contract was updated to order the aircraft under new specifications. As such, the program was renamed Subsonic Cruise Armed Decoy, retaining the SCAD acronym. [12] The House Armed Services Committee moved to reject this delay. B-52Gs could strike Soviet navy targets on the flanks of the US carrier battle groups, leaving them free to concentrate on offensive strikes against Soviet surface combatants. [280] A 1960s hairstyle, the beehive, is also called a B-52 for its resemblance to the aircraft's distinctive nose. [190] The B-52's $72,000 cost per hour of flight is more than the B-1B's $63,000 cost per hour, but less than the B-2's $135,000 per hour. Subsequently, this B-52 was counted as a "crashed in flight accidents". They carry a dual-mode penetrator and blast fragmentation warhead at subsonic speed, in a body shape designed to have a very low radar profile. Eden, Paul, ed. ", B-52 Bomber No Longer Delivers Nuclear Gravity Bombs, "The Air Force's B-52H Bomber Force Has Said Goodbye To Its Nuclear Bombs", To Make Way for Future Bomber, AF Plans to Retire B-1, B-2 in 2030s, "Here are some of the upgrades coming to the US Air Force's oldest bomber", "Boeing B-52 Stratofortress High-Altitude Long-Range Strategic Heavy Bomber", "B-52 Re-engine resurfaces as USAF reviews studies", Air Force Depot Maintenance: Information on the Cost-Effectiveness of B-1 and B-52 Support Options, "Air Force widens review of B-52 re-engining options", "Defense Science Board Task Force on B-52H Re-Engining", "Rolls Royce offers BR725 for B-52 re-engine effort", "US Air Force issues draft request for proposal to replace B-52 engines", "The Airborne Alert Program Over Greenland. [230], On 12 November 2015, the B-52 began freedom of navigation operations in the South China Sea in response to Chinese man-made islands in the region. [206], The B-52 can be highly effective for ocean surveillance, and can assist the Navy in anti-ship and mine-laying operations. The Block I system, when launched from CONUS based B-52 aircraft is highly effective against soft, above ground targets like Surface-to-Air Missiles (SAM) or radar sites. The power requirements of Phase VI ECM also consumed most of the excess electrical capacity on the B-52G. This led to it being the same 14 foot (4.3 m) length as SRAM, and the use of a fuselage with a triangular cross-section, which maximized the usable volume on the rotary launchers. [107] In 1990, the stealthy AGM-129 ACM cruise missile entered service; although intended to replace the AGM-86, a high cost and the Cold War's end led to only 450 being produced; unlike the AGM-86, no conventional, non-nuclear version was built. During 2018 Baltops exercise B-52s conducted mine-laying missions off the coasts of Sweden, simulating a counter-amphibious invasion mission in the Baltic. Starting on 16 January 1991, a flight of B-52Gs flew from Barksdale AFB, Louisiana, refueled in the air en route, struck targets in Iraq, and returned home – a journey of 35 hours and 14,000 miles (23,000 km) round trip. The CALCM was also used in Operation Desert Fox in 1998, Operation Allied Force in 1999, and Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003. The first wave of bombers arrived too early at a designated rendezvous point, and while maneuvering to maintain station, two B-52s collided, which resulted in the loss of both bombers and eight crewmen. Funding has been secured for 30 B-52s; the Air Force hopes for 10 CONECT upgrades per year, but the rate has yet to be decided. Willis, David. [171] North Vietnam claimed 34 B-52s were shot down. ", Boeing B-52 evolves again with guided weapons launcher, "New Life for Buff: Older than its pilots, the B-52 gets ready to fly for 100 years. The enemy's defenses are further hampered by the missiles' small size and low-altitude flight capability, which makes them difficult to detect on radar. The crew of 7 airmen and a 10-year-old boy on the ground were killed. A number of radar jammers and radar reflectors were intended to make it appear like a B-52 on a radar display. [175] The MiG exploded aft of the bomber,[174] as confirmed by Master Sergeant Louis E. Le Blanc, the tail gunner in a nearby Stratofortress. [97], The B-52A models were equipped with Pratt & Whitney J57-P-1W turbojets, providing a dry thrust of 10,000 lbf (44.48 kN) which could be increased for short periods to 11,000 lbf (48.93 kN) with water injection. This mission has put the CALCM program in the spotlight for future modifications. They include the ALCM and ACM, the BGM-109G Ground-Launched Cruise Missile, or GLCM, the AGM-28 Hound Dog, the SM-62 Snark, and the AGM-69 Short-Range Attack Missile, or SRAM. On 26 September 1958, a B-52D set a world speed record of 560.705 miles per hour (487 kn, 902 km/h) over a 10,000 kilometers (5,400 nmi, 6,210 mi) closed circuit without a payload. From 24 to 25 November 1956, four B-52Bs of the 93rd BW and four B-52Cs of the 42nd BW flew nonstop around the perimeter of North America in Operation Quick Kick, which covered 15,530 miles (13,500 nmi, 25,000 km) in 31 hours, 30 minutes. The first example, similar to the original SCAD in most ways, flew for the first time in March 1976, and its new guidance system was first tested that September. The new design (464-49) built upon the basic layout of the B-47 Stratojet with 35-degree swept wings, eight engines paired in four underwings pods, and bicycle landing gear with wingtip outrigger wheels. Bowers, Peter M. "Boeing B-52A/H Stratofortress. [154], In the 1960s, there were concerns over the fleet's capable lifespan. As all B-52Hs were assumed modified, no visual modification of these aircraft was required. To conform with SALT II Treaty requirements that cruise missile-capable aircraft be readily identifiable by reconnaissance satellites, the cruise missile armed B-52Gs were modified with a distinctive wing root fairing.

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