Air Force Upgrades Iconic B-52 Bomber
[Kris Osborn]
Kris Osborn
Yesterday at 11:14 AM
The Air Force plan is to keep the historic B-52 bomber relevant and functional for decades well into the 2040s
The Air Force is surging forward with a massive, fleet-wide modernization overhaul of the battle-tested, Vietnam-era B-52 bomber, an iconic airborne workhorse for the U.S. military dating back to the 1960s.
Engineers are now equipping all 76 of the Air Force B-52s with digital data-links, moving-map displays, next-generation avionics, new radios and an ability to both carry more weapons internally and integrate new, high-tech weapons as they emerge, service officials said.
The technical structure and durability of the B-52 airframes in the Air Force fleet are described as extremely robust and able to keep flying well into the 2040s and beyond – so the service is taking steps to ensure the platform stays viable by receiving the most current and effective avionics, weapons and technologies, Eric Single, Chief of the Global Strike Division, Acquisition, told Scout Warrior in an interview last year.
http://www.scout.com/military/warrior/story/1621667-air-force-upgrades-iconic-b-52-bomber
