Thursday, January 14, 2016

Why Is The B-52 Still Flying (Podcast)

A U.S. Air Force B-52 (R) flies over Osan Air Base in Pyeongtaek, South Korea, January 10, 2016. REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji

Jason Fields , Reuters: War College: Why is this 60-year-old U.S. warplane still flying?

North Korea sets off a nuclear bomb and how does the U.S. respond? The Pentagon sends a 65-year-old airplane to buzz Korean airspace. It wouldn’t make a lot of sense if the warplane wasn’t the B-52 bomber. Designed in the aftermath of World War Two, obsolete nearly before the last one rolled off the line in 1961 – the Stratofortress may remain in the air for another 25 years.

In this episode of War College, we look at why the B-52 is still flying and what makes it so hard to replace.

Read more ....

No comments: