B-52s - Keep 'em flyin' another 30+ years

[Osmium Steele]

Originally Posted by Ducimus

At this rate, the next pilot that park's his fanny on a BUFF's flight deck will honestly be able to say, "My grand daddy flew this bird!"

Already happened.

Welch, a B-52 co-pilot, is keeping up his family’s tradition as a B-52 Stratofortress flight officer.
Both his grandfather, retired Col. Don Sprague, of Sacramento, Calif., and his father, retired Lt. Col. Don Welch, of Las Vegas, were B-52 aviators.

[Ducimus]

Originally Posted by Osmium Steele

Already happened.

Bloody hell, ok.. make that "My great grand daddy flew this bird!"

[Jimbuna]

The B-52 has given what surely must be unprecedented service to the US.....she is an awesome aircraft.

I'd have thought she would have an important role in delivering stand-off weapons on a huge scale so long as she wasn't within range of enemy fighters.

I do think new builds (if affordable) would prove value for money if said new builds give the same length of service as those before them.

[TarJak]

Don't see why they couldn't keep em going for some time to come with new builds and regular avionics upgrades.

[Tchocky]

I already don't like the B-2's chances against the S-400, nevermind the F-35.

Don't get me wrong, as a bomb truck the BUFF is fine, I just don't see it surviving in anything other than a threat-neutral environment, which isn't really worth the candle.

The H-model carries up to 70,000lb of weapons. A considerably newer, more survivable B-2 carries 50,000lb.

[Oberon]

There's also always the idea they had for the B1s and that's to be a mobile AAM truck. Using the fire data from F-22s at the front, launching long range AAMs which the F-22s guide to the target. Could saturate the battlefield with AAMs quite quickly. The only snag is having to pack in a tonne of ECM to prevent the missile truck being blown out of the sky before it launches.

[Tchocky]

Originally Posted by Oberon

There's also always the idea they had for the B1s and that's to be a mobile AAM truck. Using the fire data from F-22s at the front, launching long range AAMs which the F-22s guide to the target. Could saturate the battlefield with AAMs quite quickly. The only snag is having to pack in a tonne of ECM to prevent the missile truck being blown out of the sky before it launches.

Doesn't do much when the OPFOR has some of these against AMRAAM's

[kraznyi_oktjabr]

Originally Posted by Tchocky

I already don't like the B-2's chances against the S-400, nevermind the F-35.

Just a check. Do you mean B-2's or B-52's chances?

[Tchocky]

Originally Posted by kraznyi_oktjabr

Just a check. Do you mean B-2's or B-52's chances?

B-2, actually. I should have been clearer. Trying to make the point that the threats to current state-of-the-art aircraft are very real, nevermind the vulnerability of the fifty-two.