A U.S. Air Force B-52H Stratofortress assigned to the 69th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron sits on a ramp within the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, Dec. 18, 2024. Updated with modern technology, airframe 60-0017 was assigned to the 379th Bombardment Wing at Wurtsmith Air Force Base, Michigan, on June 17, 1961. Now, almost 63 years later, the same aircraft has flown out of the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing, 6,988 miles away, as a part of the same wing at Al Udeid Air Base.
Since its inaugural flight in 1952, the B-52 Stratofortress has continuously proven its role as Air Force Global Strike Command’s most versatile long-range heavy bomber. Over the years, the B-52 has been adapted and improved to meet the ever-changing needs of the global defense environment, flying in operations that span the globe.
After WWII, Air Materiel Command expressed a desire for a new strategic bomber with long-range mission capability that could operate independently of foreign bases. On May 9, 1961, the first B-52 landed at Wurtsmith Air Force Base, Michigan, in response to that desire. By the time production ended in 1963, nearly 750 B-52s were built.
As of early 2025, the United States Air Force (USAF) maintains a fleet of 76 B-52H Stratofortress bombers. Of these, 72 are actively operational, while the remaining four are in long-term storage.
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The active B-52H aircraft are distributed among the following units:
– 2nd Bomb Wing at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana
– 5th Bomb Wing at Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota
– 307th Bomb Wing (Air Force Reserve Command) at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana
The USAF plans to keep the B-52H in service until at least 2050, which would mark nearly a century of operational use for this aircraft.
(U.S. Air Force photo)