B-52

[TT-1 Pinto]

Mari della Cina ... la parola, tanto per cambiare, ai B-52 ...

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A U.S. B-52 bomber was sent near disputed islands in the South China Sea and another circumnavigated Japan, conducting joint military exercises with the Air Self-Defense Force, the U.S. Pacific Air Forces said Wednesday.
Monday’s mission in the contested South China Sea was the first reported flight in the area by a B-52 since November.
The Pacific Air Forces (PACAF) said that the two B-52s had taken off from Andersen Air Force Base on the U.S. island territory of Guam, and participated in “routine training missions.”

L' articolo ... japantimes.co.jp ... U.S. sends B-52s for missions over disputed South and East China seas and around Japan ...

[TT-1 Pinto]

Quattrini a palate per la modernizzazione ... e non solo per quella del B-52 ...

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Boeing has secured a $14.3 billion contract for upgrade work for US Air Force B-1 and B-52 bombers.
“This B-1/B-52 Flexible Acquisition and Sustainment contract provides for the upcoming modernisation and sustainment efforts to increase lethality, enhance survivability, improve supportability, and increase responsiveness,” says the US Department of Defense in a 12 April contract award (*).

Fonte: flightglobal.com ..... Boeing in $14.3bn deal for B-1, B-52 modernisation ...

(*) ... https://dod.defense.gov/News/Contracts/Contract-View/Article/1813270/ ...

[engine]

Posso capire il B-1 , ma il B-52 .....

A questo punto , essendoci soldi da spendere , mi aspetto la modernizzazione dei P-51

 

[TT-1 Pinto]

2 ore fa, engine ha scritto:

Posso capire il B-1, ma il B-52 .....

A questo punto, essendoci soldi da spendere, mi aspetto la modernizzazione dei P-51

Old soldiers never die, they simply fade away ...

[TT-1 Pinto]

I 'veterani' ancora in prima linea ...

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Air Force B-52s will deploy to the US Central Command area of operations along with the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group in response to “recent and clear indications” that Iranian forces were preparing to possibly attack US forces, the Pentagon announced Tuesday.
Defense officials did not clarify how many B-52s would make up the task force, or which squadron they are from, in a Tuesday statement. 
The White House on Sunday said the task force and carrier deployment is a message to Iran that any attack on US forces or interests would be “met with unrelenting force.”

... airforcemag.com ... B-52s to Deploy to CENTCOM Following Iranian Threats ...

[TT-1 Pinto]

Sono due i B-52 che sono andati a rafforzare quelli già inviati ...

... dal sito dell'AFA ...

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Two More B-52s Deploy to CENTCOM ... 

Two more B-52s deployed to US Central Command on Thursday, bringing the bomber task force in the Middle East to a total of four aircraft from Barksdale AFB, La. 
The Stratofortresses touched down Thursday evening local time. 
The bombers were deployed to CENTCOM along with the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group this week in response to what Pentagon officials said was “very, very credible” intelligence that Iran was preparing to attack US forces or interests in the region. 
Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan told lawmakers on May 8 that US officials received the intelligence on Friday and decided over the weekend to deploy the additional forces as a message to Iran that the US would respond to any attack with force. 
CENTCOM boss USMC Gen. Kenneth McKenzie emphasized that the US is not seeking a fight, but “if a fight is to be had, … it won’t be a fair fight.” 
The first deployment of the B-52s from Barksdale’s 20th Bomb Squadron was supported by two KC-10s from JB McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J. 
The tankers offloaded about 180,000 pounds of fuel to help the bombers cross the ocean en route to the Middle East. 
Photographs posted by Air Forces Central Command show the bombers touching down at Al Udeid AB, Qatar. 

- Brian Everstine ...

 

[fabio-22raptor]

E a parte questi ci hanno spedito anche una batteria di Patriot

[TT-1 Pinto]

Velivoli di tre generazioni operano insieme ...

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A B-52 from the recently deployed Bomber Task Force to the Middle East flew its first mission on May 12, alongside F-15Cs and F-35s to “defend American forces and interests.” 
Air Forces Central Command posted imagery of the B-52s taking off from Al Udeid AB, Qatar, and the three types of aircraft refueling from a KC-135 over an “undisclosed location” in CENTCOM. 
AFCENT did not expand on the mission, saying the “B-52H offers diverse capabilities including the delivery of precision weapons” to support “security and stability.”

... airforcemag.com ... B-52 Flies First Mission in Task Force Deployment ...

[TT-1 Pinto]

Ripescaggio ...

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The Air Force has brought back another B-52 from the boneyard. 
Tail No. 60-034, known as “Wise Guy,” touched down at Barksdale AFB, La., on May 14. 
The B-52H was decommissioned in 2008, and sent to the 309th Aircraft Maintenance and Regeneration Group at Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz. 
The bomber’s paint is faded, but it still has the “Wise Guy” nose art and MT tail flash for Minot AFB, N.D.

 ... airforcemag.com ..... B-52H “Wise Guy” Comes Back from the Boneyard ...

[TT-1 Pinto]

Un bel pezzo di B-52, un pizzico di F-35 e ... uno spruzzo di Mirage 2000 ...  

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A B-52 flew alongside two F-35As and two Qatari Air Force Mirage 2000s in a formation over the water in Southwest Asia as the bombers continued their public flights to “defend US forces and interests in the region.” 
Photographs posted by Air Forces Central Command show air-to-air missiles on the F-35s as they fly alongside the B-52.

 ... airforcemag.com ... B-52 Flies Alongside F-35s, Qatari Aircraft as Part of Task Force Deployment ...

[TT-1 Pinto]

B-52 ... ci si interroga su cosa potrebbe venire dopo ...

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The Air Force needs to look to new ways of penetrating enemy airspace as its idea of what should replace the B-52H Stratofortress takes shape, Peter Fanta, deputy assistant defense secretary for nuclear matters, said this week.
The B-52 - a 1950s aircraft that is expected to fly for a century - hasn’t been able to penetrate enemy air defenses for the last 40 or 50 years, Fanta said at a May 23 AFA Mitchell Institute breakfast, so its replacement would need to regain that capability.
“Do you find something that just carries volume and you use the weapon to penetrate, or do you actually build another bomber to do the penetration?” he asked. 
“I would suggest that will be assessed as we go through the next round of threat assessments and look at how these threats are evolving.”

... airforcemag.com ... OSD Official: B-52 Replacement Needs to Penetrate ...

[engine]

Ma non stanno già lavorando sul B-21 ?

[TT-1 Pinto]

"Benvenuto a casa, vecchio amico" ...
Ovvero ... come questi veterani di Seattle si sono mobilitati per salvare un B-52 e creare un "Vietnam Veterans Memorial Park" ...

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When former Air Force pilot James Farmer first laid eyes on the rusting hulk of the broken-down B-52 bomber in an out-of-the-way corner of Paine Field (*), just north of Seattle, it was like looking upon a forgotten veteran, lying on his deathbed.
“It was heartbreaking,” Farmer said. 
“It was like seeing a dear old friend that was just totally deteriorating. Like a friend you hadn’t seen in 30 years and you barely recognize them because they’re in such bad shape. The paint was peeling, it was an ugly color, pieces were falling off. It was nasty.”
The B-52 had been sitting on Paine Field, a former military airport, since 1991, when it was decommissioned from the Air Force. 
Eventually donated to Seattle’s Museum of Flight, 40 miles away at Boeing Field, just south of Seattle, it was too big and expensive to move.
So it sat. 
For nearly 30 years.

(*) ... Immagine risalente al 23 Maggio 2017 ...

... airforcemag.com ... Welcome Home, Old Friend ...

Anche qui ... seattletimes.com ... In blue Seattle, a B-52 used in Vietnam is dedicated as new memorial park opens ...

The bronze aviator statue representing veterans from all the branches who returned from service in Vietnam and a folded flag under the arm for those who did not make it home stands before a lineup of flags ... 
(Alan Berner / The Seattle Times)

[TT-1 Pinto]

Rimotorizzazione ... ormai telenovela ...
I legislatori vogliono vederci chiaro ... prima di sganciare i quattrini ...

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The U.S. Air Force wants to get new engines for its heavy B-52 Stratofortress bombers as quickly as possible to keep the long-range aircraft flying for another 30 years. 
But lawmakers are insisting that service officials nail down contract specifics before they provide funding.
In a background briefing with reporters Monday, House Armed Services Committee staff members said that the Air Force first has to stipulate definitive requirements with defense companies before proceeding with a program.

... military.com ... https://www.military.com/daily-news/2019/06/03/lawmakers-want-b-52-re-engining-details-worked-out-granting-funding.html ...

[TT-1 Pinto]

Dai tempi d'oro de "Il leggendario X-15" (è il titolo di un ben noto film del 1961 - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0055627/ -) ... l'altrettanto leggendario B-52 ha sempre trasportato, sotto la sua ala, qualcosa di 'sperimentale' ...

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The US Air Force (USAF) conducted a carry test flight of its AGM-183A Air Launched Rapid Response Weapon (ARRW) on a Boeing B-52 Stratofortress aircraft on 12 June at Edwards AFB in California.
The prototype did not have explosives and was not released from the B-52 during the flight test, says the USAF (*). 
Instead, a sensor-only version of the ARRW prototype was carried externally by a B-52 during the test to gather environmental and aircraft handling data.

... flightglobal.com ... USAF B-52 in carry test of hypersonic ARRW missile ...

(*) ... af.mil ... Air Force conducts successful hypersonic weapon flight test ...

[TT-1 Pinto]

ARRW ... le armi ipersoniche sono davvero una cosa reale ...

... airforcemag.com ... http://www.airforcemag.com/Features/Pages/2019/June%202019/Roper-ARRW-Test-Flight-Shows-Hypersonic-Weapons-are-Real.aspx ...

[TT-1 Pinto]

Tu chiamalo, se vuoi ... B-52J ...

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The Air Force is likely to redesignate the B-52H as the B-52J once it receives a slew of modifications adding up to a “major modification,” Brig. Gen. Heath Collins, service program executive officer for fighters and bombers, told reporters June 20.
Typically, the Air Force makes a letter-change designation to an aircraft - what Collins described as “rolling the series” - when it receives enough new and different equipment that it constitutes virtually a new system, he said at the Life Cycle Industry Days here. 
The B-52 is slated to receive new engines beginning in about 10 years, and “that probably would be enough” to warrant a letter change, but the venerable bomber will also be getting new digital systems, communications, new weapons, and a new radar, as well as a variety of other improvements.

... airforcemag.com ... B-52H May Become B-52J ...

[TT-1 Pinto]

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The US Air Force (USAF) plans to upgrade the radar on its fleet of Boeing B-52 Stratofortress bombers to new active electronically scanned array (AESA) systems, which will be developed by Raytheon.
Boeing says it selected Raytheon to design, develop, produce and sustain the radars, which will be based on the company’s APG-79/APG-82 radar family used on the USAF’s F-15E fleet. 
Low rate initial production is scheduled to start in 2024 and the radar is intended to be used on the bomber fleet beyond 2050.

... flightglobal.com ... Boeing B-52 bombers to get new Raytheon AESA radars ...

Inoltre ... raytheon.mediaroom.com ... http://raytheon.mediaroom.com/2019-07-11-Raytheon-selected-for-B-52-AESA-radar-upgrade ...

[TT-1 Pinto]

Atterraggio di emergenza ...

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A B-52H Stratofortress from Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota, made an unexpected appearance on the RAF Mildenhall flightline June 17, 2019, after experiencing an in-flight emergency, but landed safely and no one was injured.
The aircraft had been operating in the European theater in support of several exercises in the region.
Members from throughout Team Mildenhall were put into action – maintenance, command post, air traffic control from the 100th Air Refueling Wing, a B-52 subject matter expert from the 95th Reconnaissance Squadron, and more.

... usafe.af.mil ... All hands on deck: Airmen respond to unexpected B-52 landing ...

[TT-1 Pinto]

Missioni a lungo raggio dei B-52H ...

... ainonline.com ... https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/defense/2019-09-11/buffs-demonstrate-global-reach ...

Intorno al mondo per la prima volta nel 1957 ... ma quelli erano B-52B ... la prima versione veramente operativa ...

... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Power_Flite ... 

[TT-1 Pinto]

Longevità ... in corsa verso i 

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OPINION: Why B-52 remains strategic champion ...

Source: Flight International (13 September 2019)
 
Second World War dust was still settling when, in late 1945, the US Air Force (USAF) called for a new strategic bomber.
Many design iterations followed, reflecting the rapid ratcheting up of range and speed expectations at the dawn of the jet age. 
But the ultimate result, Boeing’s B-52 Stratofortress, has been the most enduring – if not iconic – military aircraft ever. 
Think Cold War and the Strategic Air Command, the ­annihilation air power doctrine of General Curtis LeMay, endless tonnes of conventional explosives ­pummelling Vietnam and, in a chilling, thrilling moment of art mocking life, the end-of-the-world as delivered by Dr Strangelove.
The USAF is preparing another round of upgrades to its fleet of B-52Hs – the last of which was delivered in October 1962 as the Cuban missile crisis unfolded – to keep them thundering into the 2050s. 
But in this age of long-range missiles, hypersonic speeds and stealth technology, is the B-52 still relevant?
The simple answer is yes. 
In terms of range and payload, the B-52 is in a class of its own. 
It has also proved immensely versatile over time. 
And, critically in combat, the B-52 is robust; when called upon to fly a mission, the aircraft is ready to go. 
Stealth jets cannot boast such reliability – and, anyway, anti-stealth technologies are increasingly neutering their signature capability.
The big, lumbering B-52 will ultimately outlive much sexier platforms such as the fast Boeing B-1 and stealthy Northrop Grumman B-2, both of which are to be replaced by the Northrop B-21 Raider – though whether that fast and stealthy platform, expected by around 2025, outlives the B-52 remains, of course, to be seen.
The B-2, which in external profile resembles the B-21, has seen barely 20 years’ service. 
If the B-21 reaches that milestone, the B-52 will be approaching its centenary and, as plans stand, still be flying.
In one sense, the story of the B-52 draws an arc from the earliest days of military ­aviation to Armageddon. 
From observation duties and then bomb-dropping, to delivering weapons of increasingly destructive power via B-17s, B-24s and B-29s – the first nuclear bomber – to the B-52s that are still with us today, along with a whole arsenal of tactical nuclear weapons that promise mutually assured destruction.
With any luck, we will pop corks to mark the 2052 service centenary of this remarkable aircraft. 
The alternative is that the B-52 will have been put to its original purpose.

[Flaggy]

Alla fine della fiera è un camion portabombe (e porta missili) e a questo scopo non servono prestazioni (autonomia a parte) e stealthness (cose che costano), mentre alla missione basta la robustezza delle cellula, che si traduce in risparmio su nuove piattaforme... sempre ammesso si puntelli l’affidabilità e la disponibilità operativa con nuovi impianti (soprattutto i motori). Nel contempo, i costosi B-2 e soprattutto B-1 invecchiano perché sempre meno in grado di svolgere missioni più impegnative che il più economico B-52 non si sogna manco di fare da decenni.

Avrei comunque qualche remora anche solo a limitarmi a colpire a distanza con il B-52, specie con l’ingresso in servizio di missiloni russi e cinesi che vanno a nozze contro bersagli che abbiano la classica traccia radar da betoniera: si spera non sia quindi un brusco risveglio a far cambiare idea agli inossidabili sostenitori di questa cariatide volante...ehmm, volevo dire colonna portante dell'USAF...

Lo scrivevo diversi anni fa quando mi sono iscritto al forum e ribadisco il concetto ora: il B-52, con la sua stessa presenza resta un insulto al progresso tecnologico.

C’è poco da essere allegri a mantenere simili dinosauri in servizio, perché l’altra faccia della medaglia di questa pluridecennale deriva “vintage” nell’aerospazio è perdere esperienza e capacità di elaborare nuovi requisiti, incasinandosi l’esistenza anche solo per fare decentemente un’aerocisterna come il KC-46 che, tanto per stare ancor meno allegri, è un tarocco di un velivolo civile uscito di produzione da anni…

Vediamo se al quarto tentativo di fare un bombardiere decente gli americani riusciranno a pensionare anche il B-52 (beninteso dopo B-1 e B-2: non sia mai che venga accusato di lesa maestà…).

[FrancescoBaracca]

L'F130 è la proposta di Rolls-Royce per la rimotorizzazione di questi non proprio giovani ottamotori.

Tale motore nella sua variante commerciale è già utilizzato da vari Gulfstream e dal 717, bimotori molto più piccoli e meno assetati di potenza, ed a tal proposito non capisco come mai non si possa "osare" di più e di trasformare il BUFF in un quadrimotore con motori un po' più potenti, probabilmente andando a risparmiare sulla necessità di manutenzione.

https://www.rolls-royce.com/media/press-releases/2019/16-09-2019-rr-f130-engine-for-b-52-completes-early-testing-in-indianapolis.aspx

[Flaggy]

Credo ne avessimo parlato.

La rimotorizzazione del "dinosauro" doveva essere il più indolore possibile.

I motori sono la fonte di energia di un velivolo che da un punto di vista strutturale, aerodinamico e impiantistico è pensato per averne un certo numero (8 nel nostro caso…).

Cambiare tale numero dimezzandolo impone un certo sforzo da un punto di vista dell’impostazione generale del velivolo e sicuramente la modifica di un numero maggiore di cose che orbitano intorno ai motori, come ad esempio i piloni, l’impianto elettrico, l’impianto idraulico, quello di alimentazione, di controllo ambientale, fino ad arrivare all’organizzazione della strumentazione sul cruscotto.

Trattandosi comunque di 8 motori molto più affidabili ed avanzati dei precedenti, avranno quindi ritenuto che il passo avanti in termini di manutenzione fosse comunque molto evidente, mentre un ulteriore step a 4 motori si sarebbe dovuto pagare a caro prezzo in termini di progettazione, test e applicazione della modifica.

[TT-1 Pinto]

Verso l'Europa ...

Anche qui ... gloucestershirelive.co.uk ... https://www.gloucestershirelive.co.uk/news/cheltenham-news/b-52s-raf-fairford-october-3415138 ...