B-52 Stratofortress
B-52 is a long range, heavy bomber that can perform many missions. The aircraft with its 185000 pounds weight and with maximum 70000 pounds armanent can fly at the altitude of more than 15 thousand meters, below speed of sound (Mach 0.86). It can carry nuclear or conventional bombs with precision navigation. It's equipped with electro-optical viewing system that improves its targeting and its safety. Pilots wear night vision goggles to enhance their sight, so the flight is safer. Owing to the aerial refueling, the range of the aircraft only depends on the crew. An unrefueled range is 8800 miles.
B-52 was designed for air interdiction, but efficient at maritime operations, can assist US Navy in anti-ship and mine-laying operations. Two B-52 can monitor 140000 square miles of ocean surface in two hours. The flexibility of the aircraft was clear in the Vietnam war. It attacked wide range of military units and establishments. B-52 was used in the Gulf War again and the longest mission, a 35-hour-long one was taken place.
For more than 35 years, the B-52 was the ace of the US Air Force. It is capable of launching a wide range of weapons in the US inventory, including gravity bombs, cluster bombs and precision guided missiles. Bz the development of the modern technologz, B-52 will remain an important part of air defense. According to the present estimation, B-52 will serve till 2045. B-52A took off first in 1954, the B modell was deployed in 1955. 744 B-52 was build, including the H modell that was distributed in 1964. Now the Air Force only use the B-52H.