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The B-52 survived where other bombers failed because it could continue to fulfill a very special set of roles in the Missile Age, including long-range low-altitude penetration strategic bomber, heavy conventional bomber, and more generally flexible large long-range weapons-carrying platform. None of the replacements of the B-52 would have performed these duties nearly as
The Air Force today would look very different.
What would have happened if the iconic bomber had never been invented? Key point: The B-52 would serve in many conflicts and the Air Force would certainly have needed another type of bomber if it didn't exist. Since 1955, the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress has flown at the front lines of America’s national defense. Initially intended to deliver strategic nuclear weapons against the Soviet Union, the B-52 has kept that mission long after the USSR itself ceased to exist. Over the years, it has been assigned to other missions, including conventional strategic bombing against Vietnam, anti-shippin...