Rockwall, TX (July 12, 2023) – I recently published an article discussing the introduction of a new recruit into the Army and several readers have asked that I write some more weekly articles about the military. Let’s first look at an Air Force subject.
In 1955, the US Air Force introduced its new strategic bomber, the B-52. This aircraft was built specifically to replace the old B-36 and it was designed to carry nuclear weapons as a deterrence during the cold war.
Who can ever forget the thrill of seeing these huge eight engine jet mammoth airplanes lumbering down the runway in such Hollywood classics as; “A Gathering Of Eagles” with Rock Hudson, “Doctor Strangelove”, or “How I Learned To Stop Worrying and Love The Bomb”, that Stanley Kubrick film that we still see reruns of on the late-night movies. Or, maybe you might remember “Bombers B-52” starring Karl Malden and Natalie Wood; and the list goes on and on.
A majestic airplane that can carry 70,000 pounds of weapons with a crew of five (pilot, copilot, navigator, bombardier, electronic warfare officer), that can fly over 8,500 miles without refueling.
This plane has been involved in every war the US has fought since its introduction. Amazing, it is still flying in support of our forces even though it is 68 years old! And for an airplane, that is really old!
Originally there were 744 of these planes built. Today there are 76 still in the active fleet with an additional 18 in the Reserves. The original cost of the airplane was $14.43 million with the later versions in 1998 costing $53.4 million, relatively low costs for such a sophisticated weapons system.
While designed to carry nuclear weapons, the plane has only dropped conventional weapons systems in actual combat.
The first use of the plane in actual combat occurred during the Vietnam War. In June of 1965, B-52’s based at Guam Air Force Base, during bombing runs that lasted 10-12 hours, started Operation Rolling Thunder where planes were dispatched from Guam to conduct saturation bombing of targets in South Vietnam.
These bombing runs, called “Arc Light”, were unbelievable to see and hear on the ground in Vietnam. Since the bombing runs were conducted from high altitudes, there was no indication on the ground that planes were nearby. Suddenly the jungle would start exploding as wave after wave of 500- and 750-pound bombs would march across the terrain destroying anything in their path. As it was common for 30 B-52’s to be on this mission, one can imagine what the scene on the ground was like during the bombing runs.
Attempting to bring a ceasefire to the Vietnam War, Operation Linebacker II was initiated in December of 1972. Here waves of B-52 bombers for 12 days dropped over 15,000 tons of bombs on Hanoi, Haiphong, and other targets in North Vietnam.
When combined with all the B-52 strikes in South Vietnam during the war, over 126,000 individual combat sorties were flown by these aircraft.
A total of 31 B-52’s were lost in this war.
In February of 1991, a flight of B-52’s launched from Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana struck targets inside Iraq. Returning to the same base in Louisiana, at that time this was the longest combat mission in history; 35 hours and 14,000 miles round trip.
Flying over 1600 sorties during the Gulf War, these planes dropped 40% of the weapons delivered by coalition forces.
In September of 1996, during Operation Desert Strike, B-52 aircraft struck Baghdad power stations and communications facilities. In 2001, during Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan, these planes were used to deliver precision-guided munitions on Taliban and Al Qaeda forces.
Then in March of 2003, during Operation Iraqi Freedom, these ancient warhorses were once again used to deliver munitions on enemy targets.
Today both an Active and Reserve Air Force Wing, composed of these aircraft, are in Louisiana at Barksdale Air Base near Shreveport. The other bomb wing is located at Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota.
Currently, the existing B-52 aircraft are being upgraded with significant additional capability. The cost of this upgrading: $1.32 Billion. According to the Air Force, after this upgrade is completed, new engines and new radars, this old plane will be available for operational use until the end of the decade.
Who can ever forget the words of General Douglas McArthur when he said, “Old Soldiers Never Die”. Looks like that is going to apply to the B-52 war horse too!
Jerry Hogan is a former Rockwall County Judge and retired US Army Lieutenant Colonel who volunteers to write these articles. He can be reached at jerryhogan@sbcglobal.net or 214-394-4033.
A Broad View by Jerry Hogan: That BUFF, “ Big Ugly Fat Fellow”…The B-52 Airplane added by Melanie M on
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