B-52 bomber - weapon capacity

[Feuer Frei!]

70,000lbs apparently:

[Commander Wallace]

This link and video show why this aircraft is still a valuable aircraft and why it's still in service.

Great link.

[Jimbuna]

Most impressive and approximately three times the capacity of the UK's last bomber, the Vulcan.

[Commander Wallace]

Originally Posted by Jimbuna

Most impressive and approximately three times the capacity of the UK's last bomber, the Vulcan.

The Vulcan is impressive in it's own right and looks great doing it's thing. If I remember right, the Vulcan earned the distinction of flying all the way to the Falkland Islands during the dispute over those Islands.

[Jimbuna]

Originally Posted by Commander Wallace

The Vulcan is impressive in it's own right and looks great doing it's thing. If I remember right, the Vulcan earned the distinction of flying all the way to the Falkland Islands during the dispute over those Islands.

You are quite correct matey, there were seven planned and five actually took place:

Operation Black Buck
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Black_Buck

[Aktungbby]

Forget the fancy-dan stealth bombers; can you imagine some Russian sitting with his thumb on the 'switch' in his all rubles-paid bunker, and he knows every B-52 in the US is headed his way...and the threat is still viable since '55!!!. The B-52's official name Stratofortress is rarely used; informally, the aircraft has become informally referred to as the BUFF (Big Ugly Fat ****er) (well, bombing should be an 'informal' affair imho) 2012: 85 were in active service with nine in reserve. His first thought: "Почему мы не имеем их также?" His second thought: "Hasta la Vista ...Comerade BBY"!We'll call the 1 Nuke in the payload the "cookie" to keep our RAF buddies enthused. http://warontherocks.com/2016/06/we-already-have-an-arsenal-plane-its-called-the-b-52/

[Jimbuna]

Not wishing to stray off topic but the B-52 of today would probably resort to stand-off weapons because there chances of survival in an area with modern state of the art missile and fighter air defences (Russia being an obvious choice/example) would be very low indeed.

[Aktungbby]

^Duly considered and let them think that:

From the F-105s in Vietnam over Thud Ridge to the F-111s in Desert Storm, low-altitude flight served as a means of survival to get to and accurately hit the target. Almost every NATO country today qualifies their fighter pilots to 300 feet or less, except for the United States. A change in altitude from 1,000 feet to 500 feet reduces the radar horizon by 25 percent, but descending a bit lower to 300 feet reduces the radar horizon range an additional 25 percent. Hugging the ground also bestows further tactical benefits beyond the ability to exploit limited radar horizons.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swarming_(military) meets

Due to the late 1950s-era threat of surface-to-air missiles (SAMs) that could threaten high-altitude aircraft, seen in practice in the 1960 U-2 incident, the intended use of B-52 was changed to serve as a low-level penetration bomber during a foreseen attack upon the Soviet Union, as terrain masking provided an effective method of avoiding radar and thus the threat of the SAMs. Although never intended for the low level role, the B-52's flexibility allowed it to outlast several intended successors as the nature of aerial warfare changed. The B-52's large airframe enabled the addition of multiple design improvements, new equipment, and other adaptations over its service life.In November 1959, to improve the aircraft's combat capabilities in the changing strategic environment, SAC initiated the Big Four modification program (also known as Modification 1000) for all operational B-52s except early B models. The program was completed by 1963. The four modifications were the ability to launch AGM-28 Hound Dog standoff nuclear missiles and ADM-20 Quail decoys, an advanced electronic countermeasures (ECM) suite, and upgrades to perform the all-weather, low-altitude (below 500 feet or 150 m) interdiction mission in the face of advancing Soviet missile-based air defenses.

In short, high altitude stand-off is cool as a visible "threat in being", as with the current deployment of Inherent Resolve which is using B-52's against ISIS and the enemy loves to be able to see it; but when showtime gets serious: you get 85 B-52's ground hugging into the target(s) swarming... 'alles Kaput'. BUFF is a sneaky bastard: the best weapon platform ever and lots of cheap spare part$ A B-52 Stratofortress from Barksdale Air Force Base, La., touches down at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar, April 9, 2016. The B-52 offers diverse capabilities including the delivery of precision weapons. The aircraft and its crew have deployed in support Operation Inherent Resolve. This deployment is the first basing of the B-52s in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility in 26 years. BUFF Akbar BBY!