Kyle Mizokami
The United States Air Force fields a force of three heavy strategic bombers: the B-2 Spirit, the B-1 Lancer and the B-52H Stratofortress. In service for more than fifty years, the B-52H has remained remarkably relevant for a half century and fought in wars from Vietnam to Afghanistan. The aging bomber, originally designed to drop nuclear weapons on the Soviet Union and other intercontinental targets, could very well fly on into the 2030s and beyond.
The B-52 bomber arose from a U.S. Air Force requirement for a long-range jet-powered bomber. The rapid deterioration of relations between the United States and Soviet Union made the USSR a threat and potential enemy, and the USAF needed a bomber capable of flying to targets in Eurasia and back again.
http://nationalinterest.org/blog/the-buzz/the-b-52-bomber-americas-cold-war-workhorse-thats-still-23038
