Boeing B-52 Stratofortress

The Boeing B-52 Stratofortress is a long-range, eight-engine heavy bomber that has been the backbone of America's strategic bomber force since it became operational in 1955. First flown on April 15, 1952, nearly 750 were built before production ended in 1963. Designed to carry nuclear weapons across intercontinental distances during the Cold War, the swept-wing jet has continually been modernized with new avionics, weapons, and sensors.

B-52s entered combat over Southeast Asia in 1965 and have since seen action in Desert Storm, the Balkans, Afghanistan, and Iraq, delivering everything from carpet-bombing loads to precision-guided munitions and cruise missiles. Capable of carrying nuclear or conventional ordnance worldwide with aerial refueling, the B-52 has set numerous distance and endurance records. Continually upgraded, it is projected to remain in service into the 2050s, an unprecedented operational lifespan.