Summary and Key Points: The B-52 Stratofortress, designed in 1948 and first flown in 1952, is a durable and highly effective long-range bomber that has served the U.S. Air Force for over 70 years.

It shows one of the t hree B-52 Stratofortress strategic bombers from Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana, deployed to Moron airbase, Spain, refueling from a KC-135 during the large-scale NATO ...

And in the U.S. arsenal, one of the most famous such aircraft is the B-52 Stratofortress. Made by Boeing, the plane has been in service for about 70 years now, with over 700 of them being fielded ...

The alleged incident was vividly detailed in a TikTok video that was widely circulated over the weekend showing the pilot of ...

A Brief History of the Stratofortress Bomber. The B-52 was designed and had its maiden flight in April 1952. It became an active member of the US Air Force’s fleet a few years thereafter in 1955.

That the B-52 Stratofortress is still in service for the U.S. Air Force is something of a minor miracle. Designed by Boeing, the 160-foot-long strategic bombers weren’t much to look at when the ...

While the first B-52 Stratofortress never saw combat, its successors would go on to cement their place in Air Force history. June 2025 marks significant milestones for the United States military.

In spite of the hurricane-strength winds, two B-52 Stratofortress bombers deployed to RAF Fairford, UK, as part of Bomber Task Force 22-2, successfully completed a round-trip mission over Scandinavia.

The B-52 is capable of dropping or launching the widest array of weapons in the U.S. inventory. This includes gravity bombs, cluster bombs, precision guided missiles and joint direct attack munitions.

By the middle of the current century, the B-52 Stratofortress will turn 100 years old. That's because the U.S. Air Force (USAF) plans to keep it operating until the mid-2050, effectively making ...