The Air Force's B-52H Bomber Force Has Said Goodbye To Its Nuclear Bombs
A new Air Force manual confirms that the only nuclear weapons these iconic aircraft are now approved to carry are nuclear-tipped cruise missiles.
By Joseph TrevithickJanuary 13, 2020
A U.S. Air Force manual has confirmed previous reports that the service's iconic B-52H bombers are no longer authorized to carry nuclear gravity bombs. The only nuclear weapon these aircraft are presently certified to carry is the AGM-86B Air Launched Cruise Missile, which is set to eventually get replaced by a new stealthy missile under development now under the Long Range Stand Off program, or LSRO.
Hans Kristensen, who is Director of the Nuclear Information Project at the Federation of American Scientists was first to spot the updated information about the B-52H's nuclear loadouts in the latest version of Air Force Instruction 91-111, which is dated September 2019. This manual, titled "Safety Rules for U.S. Strategic Bomber Aircraft," is unclassified and also includes basic information on approved weapons for the B-2A Spirit stealth bomber.
https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/31825/the-air-forces-b-52h-bomber-force-has-said-goodbye-to-its-nuclear-bombs
