A look at the most significant weapons in the US military arsenal
By Brad Lendon, CNN
Updated 11:21 PM ET, Wed January 8, 2020
(CNN)With almost 3 million personnel, 4,800 defense sites on seven continents and an annual budget of more than $700 billion, the US military is considered the world's premier fighting force.
Here's a look at some of its most important weaponry.
B-52 bombers
A US official said Tuesday that six of the massive, eight-engine bombers would be sent to the air base at Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean.
There are around 75 B-52s in the US Air Force's active and reserve fleets. They can carry a mixed load of 35 tons of ordnance that includes bombs, mines and missiles.
The jets, which first came into service in 1952, have been upgraded over the years to carry air-launched cruise missiles. Each B-52 can carry 20 cruise missiles.
Once released from the bomber, the cruise missiles use internal guidance and their own turbofan engines to fly to and strike independent targets with warheads weighing up to 3,000 pounds (1,360 kilograms).
https://www.cnn.com/2020/01/08/politics/us-military-weapons-intl-hnk-scli/index.html
