Subsequently, in November 1946, the Deputy Chief of Air Staff for Research and Development, General Curtis LeMay, expressed the desire for a cruising speed of 400 miles per hour (350 kn; 640 km/h), to which Boeing responded with a 300,000-pound (140,000 kg) aircraft. In December 1946, Boeing was asked to change its design to a four-engine bomber with a top speed of 400 miles per hour (350 kn; 640 km/h), range of 12,000 miles (10,000 nmi; 19,000 km), and the ability to carry a nuclear weapon; in total, the aircraft could weigh up to 480,000 pounds (220,000 kg). Boeing responded with two models powered by T35 turboprops. The Model 464-16 was a "nuclear only" bomber with a 10,000-pound (4,500 kg) payload, while the Model 464-17 was a general purpose bomber with a 9,000-pound (4,100 kg) payload. Due to the cost associated with purchasing two specialized aircraft, the USAAF selected Model 464–17 with the understanding that it could be adapted for nuclear strikes.
In June 1947, the military requirements were updated and the Model 464-17 met all of them except for the range. It was becoming obvious to the USAAF that, even with the updated performance, the XB-52 would be obsolete by the time it entered production and would offer little improvement over the Convair B-36 Peacemaker; as a result, the entire project was postponed for six months. During this time, Boeing continued to perfect the design, which resulted in the Model 464–29 with a top speed of 455 miles per hour (395 kn; 732 km/h) and a 5,000-mile (8,000 km) range. In September 1947, the Heavy Bombardment Committee was convened to ascertain performance requirements for a nuclear bomber. Formalized on 8 December 1947, these requirements called for a top speed of 500 miles per hour (430 kn; 800 km/h) and an 8,000-mile (7,000 nmi; 13,000 km) range, far beyond the capabilities of the 464-29.
The outright cancellation of the Boeing contract on 11 December 1947 was staved off by a plea from its president William McPherson Allen to the Secretary of the Air Force Stuart Symington. Allen reasoned that the design was capable of being adapted to new aviation technology and more stringent requirements. In January 1948, Boeing was instructed to thoroughly explore recent technological innovations, including aerial refueling and the flying wing. Noting stability and control problems Northrop Corporation was experiencing with its YB-35 and YB-49 flying wing bombers, Boeing insisted on a conventional aircraft, and in April 1948 presented a US$30 million (US$393 million today) proposal for design, construction, and testing of two Model 464-35 prototypes. Further revisions during 1948 resulted in an aircraft with a top speed of 513 miles per hour (446 kn; 826 km/h) at 35,000 feet (11,000 m), a range of 6,909 miles (6,004 nmi; 11,119 km), and a 280,000-pound (130,000 kg) gross weight, which included 10,000 pounds (4,500 kg) of bombs and 19,875 US gallons (75,240 L) of fuel.
In May 1948, Air Materiel Command asked Boeing to incorporate the previously discarded jet engine, with improvements in fuel efficiency, into the design. That resulted in the development of yet another revision—in July 1948, Model 464-40 substituted Westinghouse J40 turbojets for the turboprops. The USAF project officer who reviewed the Model 464-40 was favorably impressed, especially since he had already been thinking along similar lines. Nevertheless, the government was concerned about the high fuel consumption rate of the jet engines of the day, and directed Boeing to use the turboprop-powered Model 464–35 as the basis for the XB-52. Although he agreed that turbojet propulsion was the future, General Howard A. Craig, Deputy Chief of Staff for Materiel, was not very enthusiastic about a jet-powered B-52, since he felt that the jet engine had not yet progressed sufficiently to permit skipping an intermediate turboprop stage. However, Boeing was encouraged to continue turbojet studies even without any expected commitment to jet propulsion.
By late Friday night, they had laid out what was an essentially new airplane. The new design (464-49) built upon the basic layout of the B-47 Stratojet with 35-degree swept wings, eight engines paired in four underwing pods, and bicycle landing gear with wingtip outrigger wheels. A notable feature was the ability to pivot both fore and aft main landing gear up to 20° from the aircraft centerline to increase safety during crosswind landings (allowing the aircraft to "crab" or roll with a sideways slip angle down the runway). After a trip to a hobby shop for supplies, Schairer set to work building a model. The rest of the team focused on weight and performance data. Wells, who was also a skilled artist, completed the aircraft drawings. On Sunday, a stenographer was hired to type a clean copy of the proposal. On Monday, Schairer presented Colonel Warden with a neatly bound 33-page proposal and a 14-inch (36 cm) scale model. The aircraft was projected to exceed all design specifications.
Although the full-size mock-up inspection in April 1949 was generally favorable, range again became a concern, since the J40s and early model J57s had excessive fuel consumption. Despite talk of another revision of specifications or even a full design competition among aircraft manufacturers, General LeMay, now in charge of Strategic Air Command, insisted that performance should not be compromised due to delays in engine development. In a final attempt to increase range, Boeing created the larger 464-67, stating that once in production, the range could be further increased in subsequent modifications. Following several direct interventions by LeMay, Boeing was awarded a production contract for thirteen B-52As and seventeen detachable reconnaissance pods on 14 February 1951. The last major design change—also at General LeMay's insistence—was a switch from the B-47 style tandem seating to a more conventional side-by-side cockpit, which increased the effectiveness of the copilot and reduced crew fatigue. Both XB-52 prototypes featured the original tandem seating arrangement with a framed bubble-type canopy (see above images).
Tex Johnston noted, "The B-52, like the B-47, utilized a flexible wing. I saw the wingtip of the B-52 static test airplane travel 32 feet (9.8 m), from the negative 1-G load position to the positive 4-G load position." The flexible structure allowed "... the wing to flex during gust and maneuvering loads, thus relieving high-stress areas and providing a smoother ride." During a 3.5-G pullup, "The wingtips appeared about 35 degrees above level flight position."
During ground testing on 29 November 1951, the XB-52's pneumatic system failed during a full-pressure test; the resulting explosion severely damaged the trailing edge of the wing, necessitating considerable repairs. The YB-52, the second XB-52 modified with more operational equipment, first flew on 15 April 1952 with "Tex" Johnston as the pilot. A 2-hour, 21-minute proving flight from Boeing Field, near Seattle, Washington, to Larson Air Force Base was undertaken with Boeing test pilot Johnston and USAF Lieutenant Colonel Guy M. Townsend. The XB-52 followed on 2 October 1952. The thorough development, including 670 days in the wind tunnel and 130 days of aerodynamic and aeroelastic testing, paid off with smooth flight testing. Encouraged, the USAF increased its order to 282 B-52s.
Aircraft deliveriesOnly three of the 13 B-52As ordered were built. All were returned to Boeing and used in their test program. On 9 June 1952, the February 1951 contract was updated to order the aircraft under new specifications. The final 10, the first aircraft to enter active service, were completed as B-52Bs. At the roll-out ceremony on 18 March 1954, Air Force Chief of Staff General Nathan Twining said:
The B-52B was followed by progressively improved bomber and reconnaissance variants, culminating in the B-52G and turbofan B-52H. To allow rapid delivery, production lines were set up both at its main Seattle factory and at Boeing's Wichita facility. More than 5,000 companies were involved in the huge production effort, with 41% of the airframe being built by subcontractors. The prototypes and all B-52A, B and C models (90 aircraft) were built at Seattle. Testing of aircraft built in Seattle caused problems due to jet noise, which led to the establishment of curfews for engine tests. Aircraft were ferried 150 miles (240 km) east on their maiden flights to Larson Air Force Base near Moses Lake, where they were fully tested.
As production of the B-47 came to an end, the Wichita factory was phased in for B-52D production, with Seattle responsible for 101 D-models and Wichita 69. Both plants continued to build the B-52E, with 42 built at Seattle and 58 at Wichita, and the B-52F (44 from Seattle and 45 from Wichita). For the B-52G, Boeing decided in 1957 to transfer all production to Wichita, which freed up Seattle for other tasks, particularly the production of airliners. Production ended in 1962 with the B-52H, with 742 aircraft built, plus the original two prototypes.
A proposed variant of the B-52H was the EB-52H, which would have consisted of 16 modified and augmented B-52H airframes with additional electronic jamming capabilities. This variant would have restored USAF airborne jamming capability that it lost on retiring the EF-111 Raven. The program was canceled in 2005 following the removal of funds for the stand-off jammer. The program was revived in 2007 and cut again in early 2009.
In July 2013, the USAF began a fleet-wide technological upgrade of its B-52 bombers called Combat Network Communications Technology (CONECT) to modernize electronics, communications technology, computing, and avionics on the flight deck. CONECT upgrades include software and hardware such as new computer servers, modems, radios, data-links, receivers, and digital workstations for the crew. One update is the AN/ARC-210 Warrior beyond-line-of-sight software programmable radio able to transmit voice, data, and information in-flight between B-52s and ground command and control centers, allowing the transmission and reception of data with updated intelligence, mapping, and targeting information; previous in-flight target changes required copying down coordinates. The ARC-210 allows machine-to-machine transfer of data, useful on long-endurance missions where targets may have moved before the arrival of the B-52. The aircraft will be able to receive information through Link-16. CONECT upgrades will cost US$1.1 billion overall and take several years. Funding has been secured for 30 B-52s; the USAF hopes for 10 CONECT upgrades per year, but the rate has yet to be decided.
Weapons upgrades include the 1760 Internal Weapons Bay Upgrade (IWBU), which gives a 66 percent increase in weapons payload using a digital interface (MIL-STD-1760) and rotary launcher. IWBU is expected to cost roughly US$313 million. The 1760 IWBU will allow the B-52 to carry eight JDAM 2,000-pound (910 kg) bombs, AGM-158B JASSM-ER cruise missiles and ADM-160C MALD-J decoy missiles internally. All 1760 IWBUs should be operational by October 2017. Two bombers will have the ability to carry 40 weapons in place of the 36 that three B-52s can carry. The 1760 IWBU allows precision-guided missiles or bombs to be deployed from inside the weapons bay; the previous aircraft carried these munitions externally on the wing hardpoints. This increases the number of guided weapons (Joint Direct Attack Munition or JDAM) a B-52 can carry and reduces the need for guided bombs to be carried on the wings. The first phase will allow a B-52 to carry twenty-four GBU-38 500-pound guided bombs or twenty GBU-31 2,000-pound bombs, with later phases accommodating the JASSM and MALD family of missiles. In addition to carrying more smart bombs, moving them internally from the wings reduces drag and achieves a 15 percent reduction in fuel consumption.
The US Air Force Research Lab is investigating defensive laser weapons for the B-52.
The B-52 is due to receive a range of upgrades alongside a planned engine retrofit. These upgrades aim to modernize the sensors and displays of the B-52. They include the new variant of the AN/APG-79 Active electronically scanned array radar designated the AN/APQ-188, replacing older mechanically scanned arrays, the streamlining of the nose and deletion of blisters housing the forward-looking infrared/electro-optical viewing system. In October 2022 Boeing released new images of what the upgrade would look like. The upgrades will also include improved communication systems, new pylons, new cockpit displays and the deletion of one crew station. The changes will carry the designation B-52J. The B-52J is scheduled to reach Initial operational capability in 2033.
The B-52 shared many technological similarities with the preceding B-47 Stratojet strategic bomber. The two aircraft used the same basic design, such as swept wings and podded jet engines, and the cabin included the crew ejection systems. On the B-52D, the pilots and electronic countermeasures (ECM) operator ejected upwards, while the lower deck crew ejected downwards; until the B-52G, the gunner had to jettison the tail gun to bail out. The tail gunner in early model B-52s was located in the traditional location in the tail of the plane, with both visual and radar gun laying systems; in later models, the gunner was moved to the front of the fuselage, with gun laying carried out by radar alone, much like the B-58 Hustler's tail gun system.
In September 2006, the B-52 became one of the first US military aircraft to fly using alternative fuel. It took off from Edwards Air Force Base with a 50/50 blend of Fischer–Tropsch process (FT) synthetic fuel and conventional JP-8 jet fuel, which burned in two of the eight engines. On 15 December 2006, a B-52 took off from Edwards with the synthetic fuel powering all eight engines, the first time a USAF aircraft was entirely powered by the blend. The seven-hour flight was considered a success. This program is part of the Department of Defense Assured Fuel Initiative, which aimed to reduce crude oil usage and obtain half of its aviation fuel from alternative sources by 2016. On 8 August 2007, Air Force Secretary Michael Wynne certified the B-52H as fully approved to use the FT blend.
Because of the B-52's mission parameters, only modest maneuvers would be required with no need for spin recovery. The aircraft has a relatively small, narrow chord rudder, giving it limited yaw control authority. Originally an all-moving vertical stabilizer was to be used but was abandoned because of doubts about hydraulic actuator reliability. Because the aircraft has eight engines, asymmetrical thrust due to the loss of an engine in flight would be minimal and correctable with the narrow rudder. To assist with crosswind takeoffs and landings the main landing gear can be pivoted 20 degrees to either side from neutral. The crew would preset the yaw adjustable crosswind landing gear according to wind observations made on the ground.
To improve operations at low altitudes, the AN/ASQ-151 Electro-Optical Viewing System (EVS), which consisted of a low light level television (LLLTV) and a forward looking infrared (FLIR) system mounted in blisters under the noses of B-52Gs and Hs between 1972 and 1976. The navigational capabilities of the B-52 were later augmented with the addition of GPS in the 1980s. The IBM AP-101, also used on the Rockwell B-1 Lancer bomber and the Space Shuttle, was the B-52's main computer.
Those B-52Gs not converted as cruise missile carriers underwent a series of modifications to improve conventional bombing. They were fitted with a new Integrated Conventional Stores Management System (ICSMS) and new underwing pylons that could hold larger bombs or other stores than the external pylons could. Thirty B-52Gs were further modified to carry up to 12 AGM-84 Harpoon anti-ship missiles each, while 12 B-52Gs were fitted to carry the AGM-142 Have Nap stand-off air-to-ground missile. When the B-52G was retired in 1994, an urgent scheme was launched to restore an interim Harpoon and Have Nap capability, the four aircraft being modified to carry Harpoon and four to carry Have Nap under the Rapid Eight program.
The Conventional Enhancement Modification (CEM) program gave the B-52H a more comprehensive conventional weapons capability, adding the modified underwing weapon pylons used by conventional-armed B-52Gs, Harpoon and Have Nap, and the capability to carry new-generation weapons including the Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) and Wind Corrected Munitions Dispenser guided bombs, the AGM-154 glide bomb and the AGM-158 JASSM missile. The CEM program also introduced new radios, integrated Global Positioning System into the aircraft's navigation system, and replaced the under-nose FLIR with a more modern unit. Forty-seven B-52Hs were modified under the CEM program by 1996, with 19 more by the end of 1999.
While the B-1 Lancer has a larger theoretical maximum payload of 75,000 pounds (34,000 kg) compared to the B-52's 70,000 pounds (32,000 kg), the bombers are rarely able to carry their full loads. The most the B-52 carries is a full load of AGM-86Bs totaling 62,660 pounds (28,420 kg). The B-1 has the internal weapons bay space to carry more GBU-31 JDAMs and JASSMs, but the B-52 upgraded with the conventional rotary launcher can carry more of other JDAM variants.
The eight engines of the B-52 are paired in pods and suspended by four pylons beneath and forward of the wings' leading edge. The careful arrangement of the pylons also allowed them to work as wing fences and delay the onset of stall. The first two prototypes, XB-52 and YB-52, were both powered by experimental Pratt & Whitney YJ57-P-3 turbojet engines with 8,700 pounds-force (39 kN) of static thrust each.
The B-52A models were equipped with Pratt & Whitney J57-P-1W turbojets, providing a dry thrust of 10,000 pounds-force (44 kN) which could be increased for short periods to 11,000 pounds-force (49 kN) with water injection. The water was carried in a 360-US-gallon (1,400 L) tank in the rear fuselage.
B-52B, C, D and E models were equipped with Pratt & Whitney J57-P-29W, J57-P-29WA, or J57-P-19W series engines, all rated at 10,500 lbf (47 kN). The B-52F and G models were powered by Pratt & Whitney J57-P-43WB turbojets, each rated at 13,750 pounds-force (61.2 kN) static thrust with water injection.
On 9 May 1961, the B-52H began to be delivered to the USAF with cleaner-burning and quieter Pratt & Whitney TF33-P-3 turbofans with a maximum thrust of 17,100 pounds-force (76 kN).
In a study for the USAF in the mid-1970s, Boeing investigated replacing the engines, changing to a new wing, and other improvements to upgrade B-52G/H aircraft as an alternative to the B-1A, then in development.
In 1996, Rolls-Royce and Boeing jointly proposed fitting each B-52 with four leased Rolls-Royce RB211 engines. This would have involved replacing the eight Pratt & Whitney TF33 engines (total thrust 136,000 lbf (600 kN)) with four RB211-535E4 engines (total thrust 172,400 lbf (767 kN)), which would increase range and reduce fuel consumption. However, a USAF analysis in 1997 concluded that Boeing's estimated savings of US$4.7 billion would not be realized and that reengining would instead cost US$1.3 billion more than keeping the existing engines, citing significant up-front procurement and re-tooling expenditure.
On 23 April 2020, the USAF released its request for proposals for 608 commercial engines plus spares and support equipment, with the plan to award the contract in May 2021. This Commercial Engine Reengining Program (CERP) saw General Electric propose its CF34-10 and Passport turbofans, Pratt & Whitney its PW800, and the Rolls-Royce BR725 to be designated F130. On 24 September 2021, the USAF selected the Rolls-Royce F130 as the winner and announced plans to purchase 650 engines (608 direct replacements and 42 spares), for US$2.6 billion.
Unlike the previous re-engine proposal which also involved reducing the number of engines from eight to four, the F130 re-engine program maintains eight engines on the B-52. Although four-engine operation would be more efficient, retrofitting the airframe to operate with only four engines would involve additional changes to the aircraft's systems and control surfaces (particularly the rudder), thereby increasing the time, cost, and complexity of the project. B-52Hs upgraded with Rolls Royce F130 engines will be redesignated as "B-52Js".
Although the B-52A was the first production variant, these aircraft were used only in testing. The first operational version was the B-52B, which had been developed in parallel with the prototypes since 1951. First flying in December 1954, B-52B, AF Serial Number 52-8711, entered operational service with 93rd Heavy Bombardment Wing (93rd BW) at Castle Air Force Base, California, on 29 June 1955. The wing became operational on 12 March 1956. The training for B-52 crews consisted of five weeks of ground school and four weeks of flying, accumulating 35 to 50 hours in the air. The new B-52Bs replaced operational B-36s on a one-to-one basis.
Early operations were problematic; in addition to supply problems, there were also technical issues. Ramps and taxiways deteriorated under the aircraft's weight, the fuel system was prone to leaks and icing, and bombing and fire control computers were unreliable. The split-level cockpit presented a temperature control problem – the pilots' cockpit was heated by sunlight while the observer and the navigator on the bottom deck sat on the ice-cold floor. Thus, a comfortable temperature setting for the pilots caused the other crew members to freeze, while a comfortable temperature for the bottom crew caused the pilots to overheat. The J57 engines proved unreliable. Alternator failure caused the first fatal B-52 crash in February 1956; as a result, the fleet was briefly grounded. In July, fuel and hydraulic issues grounded the B-52s again. In response to maintenance issues, the USAF set up "Sky Speed" teams of 50 contractors at each B-52 base to perform maintenance and routine checkups, taking an average of one week per aircraft.
The B-52 set many records over the next few years. On 26 September 1958, a B-52D set a world speed record of 560.705 miles per hour (487.239 kn; 902.367 km/h) over a 10,000 kilometers (6,200 miles; 5,400 nautical miles) closed circuit without a payload. The same day, another B-52D established a world speed record of 597.675 miles per hour (519.365 kn; 961.865 km/h) over a 5,000 kilometers (3,100 miles; 2,700 nautical miles) closed circuit without a payload. On 14 December 1960, a B-52G set a world distance record by flying unrefueled for 10,078.84 miles (8,758.27 nmi; 16,220.32 km); the flight lasted 19 hours 44 minutes (510.75 mph or 821.97 km/h). From 10 to 11 January 1962, a B-52H (60-40) set a world distance record by flying unrefueled, surpassing the prior B-52 record set two years earlier, from Kadena Air Base, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan, to Torrejón Air Base, Spain, which covered 12,532.28 miles (10,890.25 nmi; 20,168.75 km). The flight passed over Seattle, Fort Worth and the Azores.
In November 1959, to improve the aircraft's combat capabilities in the changing strategic environment, SAC initiated the Big Four modification program (also known as Modification 1000) for all operational B-52s except early B models. The program was completed by 1963. The four modifications were the ability to launch AGM-28 Hound Dog standoff nuclear missiles and ADM-20 Quail decoys, an advanced electronic countermeasures (ECM) suite, and upgrades to perform the all-weather, low-altitude (below 500 feet or 150 m) interdiction mission in the face of advancing Soviet missile-based air defenses.
In the 1960s, there were concerns over the fleet's capable lifespan. Several projects beyond the B-52, the Convair B-58 Hustler and North American XB-70 Valkyrie, had either been aborted or proved disappointing in light of changing requirements, which left the older B-52 as the main bomber as opposed to the planned successive aircraft models. On 19 February 1965, General Curtis E. LeMay testified to Congress that the lack of a follow-up bomber project to the B-52 raised the danger that, "The B-52 is going to fall apart on us before we can get a replacement for it." Other aircraft, such as the General Dynamics F-111 Aardvark, later complemented the B-52 in roles the aircraft was not as capable in, such as missions involving high-speed, low-level penetration dashes.
With the escalating situation in Southeast Asia, 28 B-52Fs were fitted with external racks for 24 of the 750 pounds (340 kg) bombs under project South Bay in June 1964; an additional 46 aircraft received similar modifications under project Sun Bath. In March 1965, the United States commenced Operation Rolling Thunder. The first combat mission, Operation Arc Light, was flown by B-52Fs on 18 June 1965, when 30 bombers of the 9th and 441st Bombardment Squadrons struck a communist stronghold near the Bến Cát District in South Vietnam. The first wave of bombers arrived too early at a designated rendezvous point, and while maneuvering to maintain station, two B-52s collided, which resulted in the loss of both bombers and eight crewmen. The remaining bombers, minus one more that turned back due to mechanical problems, continued towards the target. Twenty-seven Stratofortresses bombed a one-by-two-mile (1.6 by 3.2 km) target box from between 19,000 and 22,000 feet (5,800 and 6,700 m), with a little more than 50% of the bombs falling within the target zone. The force returned to Andersen Air Force Base except for one bomber with electrical problems that recovered to Clark Air Base, the mission having lasted 13 hours. Post-strike assessment by teams of South Vietnamese troops with American advisors found evidence that the Viet Cong had departed from the area before the raid, and it was suspected that infiltration of the south's forces may have tipped off the north because of the South Vietnamese Army troops involved in the post-strike inspection.
On 22 November 1972, a B-52D (55-110) from U-Tapao was hit by a SAM while on a raid over Vinh. The crew was forced to abandon the damaged aircraft over Thailand. This was the first B-52 destroyed by hostile fire.
The two B-52 tail gunner kills were not confirmed by VPAF, and they admitted to the loss of only three MiGs, all by F-4s.[183] Vietnamese sources have attributed a third air-to-air victory to a B-52, a MiG-21 shot down on 16 April 1972. These victories make the B-52 the largest aircraft credited with air-to-air kills. The last Arc Light mission without fighter escort took place on 15 August 1973, as U.S. military action in Southeast Asia was wound down.
B-52Bs reached the end of their structural service life by the mid-1960s and all were retired by June 1966, followed by the last of the B-52Cs on 29 September 1971; except for NASA's B-52B "008" which was eventually retired in 2004 at Edwards Air Force Base, California. Another of the remaining B Models, "52-005" is on display at the Wings Over the Rockies Air and Space Museum in Denver, Colorado.
A few time-expired E models were retired in 1967 and 1968, but the bulk (82) were retired between May 1969 and March 1970. Most F models were also retired between 1967 and 1973, but 23 survived as trainers until late 1978. The fleet of D models served much longer; 80 D models were extensively overhauled under the Pacer Plank program during the mid-1970s. Skinning on the lower wing and fuselage was replaced, and various structural components were renewed. The fleet of D models stayed largely intact until late 1978 when 37 not already upgraded Ds were retired. The remainder were retired between 1982 and 1983.
The remaining G and H models were used for nuclear standby ("alert") duty as part of the United States' nuclear triad; the combination of nuclear-armed land-based missiles, submarine-based missiles, and manned bombers. The B-1, intended to supplant the B-52, replaced only the older models and the supersonic FB-111. In 1991, B-52s ceased continuous 24-hour SAC alert duty.
After Vietnam, the experience of operations in a hostile air defense environment was considered. Due to this, B-52s were modernized with new weapons, equipment, and both offensive and defensive avionics. This, and the use of low-level tactics, marked a major shift in the B-52's utility. The upgrades were:
These modifications increased weight by nearly 24,000 pounds (11,000 kg) and decreased operational range by 8–11%. This was considered acceptable for the increase in capabilities.
After the fall of the Soviet Union, all B-52Gs remaining in service were destroyed in accordance with the terms of the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START). The Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Center (AMRC) cut the 365 B-52s into pieces. Russia verified the completion destruction task via satellite and first-person inspection at the AMARC facility.
The conventional strikes were carried out by three bombers, which dropped up to 153 of the 750 lb (340 kg) M117 bomb over an area of 1.5 by 1 mi (2.4 by 1.6 km). The bombings demoralized the defending Iraqi troops, many of whom surrendered in the wake of the strikes. In 1999, the science and technology magazine Popular Mechanics described the B-52's role in the conflict: "The Buff's value was made clear during the Gulf War and Desert Fox. The B-52 turned out the lights in Baghdad." During Operation Desert Storm, B-52s flew about 1,620 sorties and delivered 40% of the weapons dropped by coalition forces.
During the conflict, several claims of Iraqi air-to-air successes were made, including an Iraqi pilot, Khudai Hijab, who allegedly fired a Vympel R-27R missile from his MiG-29 and damaged a B-52G on the opening night of the Gulf War. However, the USAF disputes this claim, stating the bomber was actually hit by friendly fire, an AGM-88 High-speed, Anti-Radiation Missile (HARM) that homed on the fire-control radar of the B-52's tail gun; the jet was subsequently nicknamed In HARM's Way. Shortly following this incident, General George Lee Butler announced that the gunner position on B-52 crews would be eliminated, and the gun turrets permanently deactivated, commencing on 1 October 1991.
Since the mid-1990s, the B-52H has been the only variant remaining in military service; it is currently stationed at:
The B-52 can be employed in ocean surveillance, anti-ship and mine-laying operations. For example, a pair of B-52s, in two hours, can monitor 140,000 square miles (360,000 square kilometers) of the ocean surface. During the 2018 Baltops exercise, B-52s conducted mine-laying missions off the coast of Sweden, simulating a counter-amphibious invasion mission in the Baltic.
In the 1970s, the U.S. Navy worried that combined attacks from Soviet bombers, submarines, and warships could overwhelm its defenses and sink its aircraft carriers. After the Falklands War, US planners feared the damage that could be created by 200-mile (170 nmi; 320 km)-range missiles carried by Tupolev Tu-22M "Backfire" bombers and 250-mile (220 nmi; 400 km)-range missiles carried by Soviet surface ships. New US Navy maritime strategy in the early 1980s called for the aggressive use of carriers and surface action groups against the Soviet navy. To help protect the carrier battle groups, some B-52Gs were modified to fire Harpoon anti-ship missiles. These bombers were based in Guam and Maine in the later 1970s to support both the Atlantic and Pacific fleets. In case of war, B-52s would coordinate with tanker support and surveillance aircraft. B-52Gs could strike Soviet Navy targets on the flanks of the US carrier battle groups, leaving them free to concentrate on offensive strikes against Soviet surface combatants. Mines laid by B-52s could establish minefields in significant enemy chokepoints (mainly the Kuril Islands and the GIUK gap). These minefields would force the Soviet fleet to disperse, making individual ships more vulnerable to Harpoon attacks.
From the 1980s, B-52Hs were modified to use a wide range of cruise missiles, laser- and satellite-guided bombs, and unguided munitions. B-52 bomber crews honed sea-skimming flight profiles that would allow them to penetrate stiff enemy defenses and attack Soviet ships.
In August 2007, a B-52H ferrying AGM-129 ACM cruise missiles from Minot Air Force Base to Barksdale Air Force Base for dismantling was mistakenly loaded with six missiles with their nuclear warheads. The weapons did not leave USAF custody and were secured at Barksdale.
In May 2019, a second aircraft was resurrected from long-term storage in Davis-Monthan. The B-52, nicknamed "Wise Guy", had been at AMARG since 2008. It flew to Barksdale Air Force Base on 13 May 2019. It was completed in four months by a team of 13–20 maintainers from the 307th Maintenance Squadron.
The USAF continues to rely on the B-52 because it remains an effective and economical heavy bomber in the absence of sophisticated air defenses, particularly in the type of missions that have been conducted since the end of the Cold War against nations with limited defensive capabilities. The B-52 has also continued in service because there has been no reliable replacement. The B-52 has the capacity to "loiter" for extended periods, and can deliver precision standoff and direct fire munitions from a distance, in addition to direct bombing. It has been a valuable asset in supporting ground operations during conflicts such as Operation Iraqi Freedom. The B-52 had the highest mission capable rate of the three types of heavy bombers operated by the USAF in the 2000–2001 period. The B-1 averaged a 53.7% ready rate, the B-2 Spirit achieved 30.3%, and the B-52 averaged 80.5%. The B-52's US$72,000 cost per hour of flight is more than the B-1B's US$63,000 cost per hour, but less than the B-2's US$135,000 per hour.
The Long Range Strike Bomber program is intended to yield a stealthy successor for the B-52 and B-1 that would begin service in the 2020s; it is intended to produce 80 to 100 aircraft. Two competitors, Northrop Grumman and a joint team of Boeing and Lockheed Martin, submitted proposals in 2014; Northrop Grumman was awarded a contract in October 2015.
According to a statement by the U.S. military, an undisclosed number of B-52s participated in the U.S. strikes on pro-government forces in eastern Syria on 7 February 2018. A number of B-52s were deployed in airstrikes against the Taliban during the 2021 Taliban offensive. In 2022, the US Air Force used a B-52 as a platform to test a Hypersonic Air-breathing Weapon Concept (HAWC) missile. In late October 2022, ABC News reported that the USAF intended to deploy six B-52s at RAAF Tindal in Australia in the near future, which would include building facilities to handle the aircraft.
On 3 November 2024, CENTCOM confirmed an undisclosed number of B-52s from Minot Air Force Base's 5th Bomb Wing arrived in the Middle East. On 8 December 2024, CENTCOM announced that B-52s, alongside undisclosed numbers of F-15E fighter aircraft and A-10 attack aircraft, had participated in a number of airstrikes against over 75 Islamic State targets within Syria, following the ousting of the al-Assad government in the country in the days prior.
The B-52 went through several design changes and variants over its 10 years of production.
Of the 50 B-52Bs built, 27 were capable of carrying a reconnaissance pod as RB-52Bs (the crew was increased to eight in these aircraft). The 300 pounds (140 kg) pod contained radio receivers, a combination of K-36, K-38, and T-11 cameras, and two operators on downward-firing ejection seats. The pod required only four hours to install.
Seven B-52Bs were brought to B-52C standard under See also: Category:Accidents and incidents involving the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress
List of incidents resulting in loss of life, severe injuries, or loss of aircraft.
"B-52 Heavy-lift Airborne Launch Aircraft". NASA. 14 September 2023. Retrieved 25 February 2024. https://www.nasa.gov/reference/b-52/
"Fact Sheets: 5th Bomb Wing". 30 October 2019. Archived from the original on 31 May 2021. https://www.minot.af.mil/About-Us/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/264218/5th-bomb-wing-minot-air-force-base/
"B-52 Stratofortress". United States Air Force. Retrieved 2 March 2023. https://www.af.mil/About-Us/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/104465/b-52h-stratofortress/
Sanders, Gordon F (20 January 2018). "The Incredible 50-year-old Plane on the Front Lines of the North Korea Standoff". POLITICO Magazine. http://politi.co/2BfGm9Q
"BUF". Wordorigins.org. Archived from the original on 27 July 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20100727082701/http://www.wordorigins.org/index.php/more/896
B 52 Instant Thunder (Television production). Wings. Discovery Channel. 17 April 2019. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UCmrf15WQx8
"Fellow" is substituted for "Fuck" or "Fucker" in bowdlerized or sanitized versions of the acronym.[8] /wiki/Bowdlerized
Losey, Stephen (12 February 2024). "The new B-52: How the Air Force is prepping to fly century-old bombers". Defense News. Retrieved 24 September 2024. https://www.defensenews.com/air/2024/02/12/the-new-b-52-how-the-air-force-is-prepping-to-fly-century-old-bombers/
"Fact Sheets: 5th Bomb Wing". 30 October 2019. Archived from the original on 31 May 2021. https://www.minot.af.mil/About-Us/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/264218/5th-bomb-wing-minot-air-force-base/
"B-52 Stratofortress". United States Air Force. Retrieved 2 March 2023. https://www.af.mil/About-Us/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/104465/b-52h-stratofortress/
"Facts Sheets: 2nd Bomb Wing". March 2021. Archived from the original on 2 November 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20221102212126/https://www.barksdale.af.mil/About-Us/Fact-Sheets/Article/320180/2nd-bomb-wing/
"307th Bomb Wing-About Us". 25 September 2021. Archived from the original on 25 September 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210925201731/https://www.307bw.afrc.af.mil/Units/About-Us/
Trevithick, Joseph (19 February 2015). "I'll Be Damned, These Boneyard B-52s Can Still Fly". Medium. https://medium.com/war-is-boring/i-ll-be-damned-these-boneyard-b-52s-can-still-fly-4eec4c8bf5cf
Knaack 1988, pp. 206–207. - Knaack, Marcelle Size (1988). Post-World War II Bombers, 1945–1973 (PDF). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 978-0-16-002260-9. https://media.defense.gov/2010/May/26/2001330264/-1/-1/0/AFD-100526-026.pdf
Knaack 1988, p. 207. - Knaack, Marcelle Size (1988). Post-World War II Bombers, 1945–1973 (PDF). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 978-0-16-002260-9. https://media.defense.gov/2010/May/26/2001330264/-1/-1/0/AFD-100526-026.pdf
Knaack 1988, p. 207. - Knaack, Marcelle Size (1988). Post-World War II Bombers, 1945–1973 (PDF). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 978-0-16-002260-9. https://media.defense.gov/2010/May/26/2001330264/-1/-1/0/AFD-100526-026.pdf
Knaack 1988, pp. 207–208. - Knaack, Marcelle Size (1988). Post-World War II Bombers, 1945–1973 (PDF). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 978-0-16-002260-9. https://media.defense.gov/2010/May/26/2001330264/-1/-1/0/AFD-100526-026.pdf
Tagg 2004, p. 19. - Tagg, Lori S. (2004). Development of the B-52: The Wright Field Story (PDF). Dayton, Ohio: History Office Aeronautical Systems Center, Air Force Materiel Command, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, United States Air Force. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 October 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20081001200007/http://www.ascho.wpafb.af.mil/B52/B-52%20Book.pdf
Tagg 2004, p. 21. - Tagg, Lori S. (2004). Development of the B-52: The Wright Field Story (PDF). Dayton, Ohio: History Office Aeronautical Systems Center, Air Force Materiel Command, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, United States Air Force. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 October 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20081001200007/http://www.ascho.wpafb.af.mil/B52/B-52%20Book.pdf
Tagg 2004, p. 21; Knaack 1988, p. 208. - Tagg, Lori S. (2004). Development of the B-52: The Wright Field Story (PDF). Dayton, Ohio: History Office Aeronautical Systems Center, Air Force Materiel Command, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, United States Air Force. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 October 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20081001200007/http://www.ascho.wpafb.af.mil/B52/B-52%20Book.pdf
Tagg 2004, p. 22. - Tagg, Lori S. (2004). Development of the B-52: The Wright Field Story (PDF). Dayton, Ohio: History Office Aeronautical Systems Center, Air Force Materiel Command, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, United States Air Force. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 October 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20081001200007/http://www.ascho.wpafb.af.mil/B52/B-52%20Book.pdf
Tagg 2004, p. 23. - Tagg, Lori S. (2004). Development of the B-52: The Wright Field Story (PDF). Dayton, Ohio: History Office Aeronautical Systems Center, Air Force Materiel Command, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, United States Air Force. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 October 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20081001200007/http://www.ascho.wpafb.af.mil/B52/B-52%20Book.pdf
Tagg 2004, p. 23. - Tagg, Lori S. (2004). Development of the B-52: The Wright Field Story (PDF). Dayton, Ohio: History Office Aeronautical Systems Center, Air Force Materiel Command, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, United States Air Force. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 October 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20081001200007/http://www.ascho.wpafb.af.mil/B52/B-52%20Book.pdf
Knaack 1988, p. 209. - Knaack, Marcelle Size (1988). Post-World War II Bombers, 1945–1973 (PDF). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 978-0-16-002260-9. https://media.defense.gov/2010/May/26/2001330264/-1/-1/0/AFD-100526-026.pdf
Tagg 2004, p. 30. - Tagg, Lori S. (2004). Development of the B-52: The Wright Field Story (PDF). Dayton, Ohio: History Office Aeronautical Systems Center, Air Force Materiel Command, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, United States Air Force. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 October 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20081001200007/http://www.ascho.wpafb.af.mil/B52/B-52%20Book.pdf
Tagg 2004, p. 34. - Tagg, Lori S. (2004). Development of the B-52: The Wright Field Story (PDF). Dayton, Ohio: History Office Aeronautical Systems Center, Air Force Materiel Command, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, United States Air Force. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 October 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20081001200007/http://www.ascho.wpafb.af.mil/B52/B-52%20Book.pdf
Knaack 1988, p. 210. - Knaack, Marcelle Size (1988). Post-World War II Bombers, 1945–1973 (PDF). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 978-0-16-002260-9. https://media.defense.gov/2010/May/26/2001330264/-1/-1/0/AFD-100526-026.pdf
Tagg 2004, p. 30; Knaack 1988, pp. 210–211. - Tagg, Lori S. (2004). Development of the B-52: The Wright Field Story (PDF). Dayton, Ohio: History Office Aeronautical Systems Center, Air Force Materiel Command, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, United States Air Force. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 October 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20081001200007/http://www.ascho.wpafb.af.mil/B52/B-52%20Book.pdf
Knaack 1988, p. 212. - Knaack, Marcelle Size (1988). Post-World War II Bombers, 1945–1973 (PDF). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 978-0-16-002260-9. https://media.defense.gov/2010/May/26/2001330264/-1/-1/0/AFD-100526-026.pdf
Tagg 2004, pp. 35–36. - Tagg, Lori S. (2004). Development of the B-52: The Wright Field Story (PDF). Dayton, Ohio: History Office Aeronautical Systems Center, Air Force Materiel Command, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, United States Air Force. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 October 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20081001200007/http://www.ascho.wpafb.af.mil/B52/B-52%20Book.pdf
Tagg 2004, pp. 36–39. - Tagg, Lori S. (2004). Development of the B-52: The Wright Field Story (PDF). Dayton, Ohio: History Office Aeronautical Systems Center, Air Force Materiel Command, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, United States Air Force. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 October 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20081001200007/http://www.ascho.wpafb.af.mil/B52/B-52%20Book.pdf
1634–1699: McCusker, J. J. (1997). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700–1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved 29 February 2024. /wiki/John_J._McCusker
Tagg 2004, pp. 40–44. - Tagg, Lori S. (2004). Development of the B-52: The Wright Field Story (PDF). Dayton, Ohio: History Office Aeronautical Systems Center, Air Force Materiel Command, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, United States Air Force. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 October 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20081001200007/http://www.ascho.wpafb.af.mil/B52/B-52%20Book.pdf
Knaack 1988, p. 213; Tagg 2004, pp. 45–47. - Knaack, Marcelle Size (1988). Post-World War II Bombers, 1945–1973 (PDF). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 978-0-16-002260-9. https://media.defense.gov/2010/May/26/2001330264/-1/-1/0/AFD-100526-026.pdf
Tagg 2004, pp. 44–45. - Tagg, Lori S. (2004). Development of the B-52: The Wright Field Story (PDF). Dayton, Ohio: History Office Aeronautical Systems Center, Air Force Materiel Command, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, United States Air Force. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 October 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20081001200007/http://www.ascho.wpafb.af.mil/B52/B-52%20Book.pdf
Knaack 1988, pp. 214–215. - Knaack, Marcelle Size (1988). Post-World War II Bombers, 1945–1973 (PDF). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 978-0-16-002260-9. https://media.defense.gov/2010/May/26/2001330264/-1/-1/0/AFD-100526-026.pdf
Baugher, Joe (30 June 2000). "Origin of the B-52". joebaugher.com. http://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_bombers/b52_1.html
Mandeles, Mark D (March 1998). The Development of the B-52 and Jet Propulsion: A Case Study in Organizational Innovation (PDF). Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Air University Press. LCCN 98014703. https://www.airuniversity.af.edu/Portals/10/AUPress/Books/B_0038_MANDELES_B_52_JET_PROPULSION.pdf
Hollings, Alex. "The B-52 was designed in a hotel room over a weekend in 1948, and it may still be flying 100 years later". Business Insider. Retrieved 16 November 2022. https://www.businessinsider.com/b52-was-designed-in-dayton-ohio-hotel-room-in-1948-2022-9
Tagg 2004, pp. 48–50. - Tagg, Lori S. (2004). Development of the B-52: The Wright Field Story (PDF). Dayton, Ohio: History Office Aeronautical Systems Center, Air Force Materiel Command, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, United States Air Force. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 October 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20081001200007/http://www.ascho.wpafb.af.mil/B52/B-52%20Book.pdf
Tagg 2004, pp. 58–59. - Tagg, Lori S. (2004). Development of the B-52: The Wright Field Story (PDF). Dayton, Ohio: History Office Aeronautical Systems Center, Air Force Materiel Command, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, United States Air Force. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 October 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20081001200007/http://www.ascho.wpafb.af.mil/B52/B-52%20Book.pdf
"B-52 Design: Dayton Hotel Birthplace of jet-powered Bomber". Boeing. 11 April 2002. Archived from the original on 29 January 2009. Retrieved 3 August 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20090129182425/http://www.boeing.com/defense-space/military/b52-strat/b52_50th/design.htm
"Historical Snapshot: B-52 Stratofortress". Boeing. Retrieved 28 February 2023. https://www.boeing.com/history/products/b-52-stratofortress.page
Knaack 1988, pp. 215–216. - Knaack, Marcelle Size (1988). Post-World War II Bombers, 1945–1973 (PDF). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 978-0-16-002260-9. https://media.defense.gov/2010/May/26/2001330264/-1/-1/0/AFD-100526-026.pdf
Tagg 2004, p. 57. - Tagg, Lori S. (2004). Development of the B-52: The Wright Field Story (PDF). Dayton, Ohio: History Office Aeronautical Systems Center, Air Force Materiel Command, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, United States Air Force. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 October 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20081001200007/http://www.ascho.wpafb.af.mil/B52/B-52%20Book.pdf
Knaack 1988, pp. 217–218; Tagg 2004, p. 60. - Knaack, Marcelle Size (1988). Post-World War II Bombers, 1945–1973 (PDF). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 978-0-16-002260-9. https://media.defense.gov/2010/May/26/2001330264/-1/-1/0/AFD-100526-026.pdf
Knaack 1988, p. 218. - Knaack, Marcelle Size (1988). Post-World War II Bombers, 1945–1973 (PDF). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 978-0-16-002260-9. https://media.defense.gov/2010/May/26/2001330264/-1/-1/0/AFD-100526-026.pdf
Knaack 1988, pp. 217–219. - Knaack, Marcelle Size (1988). Post-World War II Bombers, 1945–1973 (PDF). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 978-0-16-002260-9. https://media.defense.gov/2010/May/26/2001330264/-1/-1/0/AFD-100526-026.pdf
Knaack 1988, p. 219. - Knaack, Marcelle Size (1988). Post-World War II Bombers, 1945–1973 (PDF). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 978-0-16-002260-9. https://media.defense.gov/2010/May/26/2001330264/-1/-1/0/AFD-100526-026.pdf
Knaack 1988, p. 221. - Knaack, Marcelle Size (1988). Post-World War II Bombers, 1945–1973 (PDF). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 978-0-16-002260-9. https://media.defense.gov/2010/May/26/2001330264/-1/-1/0/AFD-100526-026.pdf
Cooke 1956, pp. 24–28. - Cooke, David C (1956). How Airplanes are Made. New York: Dodd, Mead & Company. OCLC 1577826. https://search.worldcat.org/oclc/1577826
Johnston, A.M. "Tex" (1992). Tex Johnston, Jet-Age Test Pilot. New York: Bantam. pp. 167, 176–177. ISBN 978-0-5532-9587-0. 978-0-5532-9587-0
Donald 1997, pp. 161–162. - Donald, David (1997). The Encyclopedia of World Aircraft. Etobicoke, Ontario, Canada: Prospero Books. ISBN 978-1-85605-375-4.
"The Boeing Logbook: 1952–1956 15 April 1952". Boeing. Archived from the original on 20 January 2008. Retrieved 13 August 2009. https://web.archive.org/web/20080120095013/http://www.boeing.com/history/chronology/chron08.html
Knaack 1988, p. 222. - Knaack, Marcelle Size (1988). Post-World War II Bombers, 1945–1973 (PDF). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 978-0-16-002260-9. https://media.defense.gov/2010/May/26/2001330264/-1/-1/0/AFD-100526-026.pdf
Tagg 2004, p. 82. - Tagg, Lori S. (2004). Development of the B-52: The Wright Field Story (PDF). Dayton, Ohio: History Office Aeronautical Systems Center, Air Force Materiel Command, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, United States Air Force. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 October 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20081001200007/http://www.ascho.wpafb.af.mil/B52/B-52%20Book.pdf
Quote: "Designing the B-29 had required 153,000 engineering hours; the B-52, 3,000,000."[55]
Knaack 1988, p. 229. - Knaack, Marcelle Size (1988). Post-World War II Bombers, 1945–1973 (PDF). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 978-0-16-002260-9. https://media.defense.gov/2010/May/26/2001330264/-1/-1/0/AFD-100526-026.pdf
Knaack 1988, p. 230. - Knaack, Marcelle Size (1988). Post-World War II Bombers, 1945–1973 (PDF). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 978-0-16-002260-9. https://media.defense.gov/2010/May/26/2001330264/-1/-1/0/AFD-100526-026.pdf
Knaack 1988, p. 241. - Knaack, Marcelle Size (1988). Post-World War II Bombers, 1945–1973 (PDF). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 978-0-16-002260-9. https://media.defense.gov/2010/May/26/2001330264/-1/-1/0/AFD-100526-026.pdf
Knaack 1988, p. 247. - Knaack, Marcelle Size (1988). Post-World War II Bombers, 1945–1973 (PDF). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 978-0-16-002260-9. https://media.defense.gov/2010/May/26/2001330264/-1/-1/0/AFD-100526-026.pdf
Knaack 1988, p. 258. - Knaack, Marcelle Size (1988). Post-World War II Bombers, 1945–1973 (PDF). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 978-0-16-002260-9. https://media.defense.gov/2010/May/26/2001330264/-1/-1/0/AFD-100526-026.pdf
Knaack 1988, p. 262. - Knaack, Marcelle Size (1988). Post-World War II Bombers, 1945–1973 (PDF). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 978-0-16-002260-9. https://media.defense.gov/2010/May/26/2001330264/-1/-1/0/AFD-100526-026.pdf
Knaack 1988, p. 269. - Knaack, Marcelle Size (1988). Post-World War II Bombers, 1945–1973 (PDF). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 978-0-16-002260-9. https://media.defense.gov/2010/May/26/2001330264/-1/-1/0/AFD-100526-026.pdf
Knaack 1988, p. 280. - Knaack, Marcelle Size (1988). Post-World War II Bombers, 1945–1973 (PDF). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 978-0-16-002260-9. https://media.defense.gov/2010/May/26/2001330264/-1/-1/0/AFD-100526-026.pdf
Knaack 1988, p. 289. - Knaack, Marcelle Size (1988). Post-World War II Bombers, 1945–1973 (PDF). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 978-0-16-002260-9. https://media.defense.gov/2010/May/26/2001330264/-1/-1/0/AFD-100526-026.pdf
Tagg 2004, p. 85. - Tagg, Lori S. (2004). Development of the B-52: The Wright Field Story (PDF). Dayton, Ohio: History Office Aeronautical Systems Center, Air Force Materiel Command, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, United States Air Force. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 October 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20081001200007/http://www.ascho.wpafb.af.mil/B52/B-52%20Book.pdf
Knaack 1988, p. 230. - Knaack, Marcelle Size (1988). Post-World War II Bombers, 1945–1973 (PDF). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 978-0-16-002260-9. https://media.defense.gov/2010/May/26/2001330264/-1/-1/0/AFD-100526-026.pdf
Knaack 1988, p. 230. - Knaack, Marcelle Size (1988). Post-World War II Bombers, 1945–1973 (PDF). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 978-0-16-002260-9. https://media.defense.gov/2010/May/26/2001330264/-1/-1/0/AFD-100526-026.pdf
Knaack 1988, pp. 229–230. - Knaack, Marcelle Size (1988). Post-World War II Bombers, 1945–1973 (PDF). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 978-0-16-002260-9. https://media.defense.gov/2010/May/26/2001330264/-1/-1/0/AFD-100526-026.pdf
Gunston 1957, p. 776. - Gunston, Bill (15 November 1957). "Boeing B-52:The Strategic Stratofortress". Flight. Vol. 72, no. 2547. pp. 771–778. Archived from the original on 24 July 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20120724023218/http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1957/1957%20-%201683.html?tracked=1
Lake 2003a, pp. 117–121. - Lake, Jon (Spring 2003). "Variant Briefing: Boeing B-52 Stratofortress: Part 1". International Air Power Review. Vol. 8. Norwalk, CT, USA: AIRtime Publishing. pp. 106–121. ISBN 978-1-880588-54-3. ISSN 1473-9917. https://search.worldcat.org/issn/1473-9917
Bowers 1989, p. 379. - Bowers, Peter M. (1989). Boeing aircraft since 1916 (Third ed.). London: Putnam. ISBN 978-0-85177-804-4.
Lake 2003b, pp. 100–101. - Lake, Jon (Summer 2003). "Boeing B-52 variants: Part 2 B-52D to 'B-52J'". International Air Power Review. Vol. 9. Norwalk, CT, USA: AIRtime Publishing. pp. 100–115. ISBN 978-1-880588-56-7. ISSN 1473-9917. https://search.worldcat.org/issn/1473-9917
Lake 2003b, p. 102. - Lake, Jon (Summer 2003). "Boeing B-52 variants: Part 2 B-52D to 'B-52J'". International Air Power Review. Vol. 9. Norwalk, CT, USA: AIRtime Publishing. pp. 100–115. ISBN 978-1-880588-56-7. ISSN 1473-9917. https://search.worldcat.org/issn/1473-9917
Lake 2003b, p. 103. - Lake, Jon (Summer 2003). "Boeing B-52 variants: Part 2 B-52D to 'B-52J'". International Air Power Review. Vol. 9. Norwalk, CT, USA: AIRtime Publishing. pp. 100–115. ISBN 978-1-880588-56-7. ISSN 1473-9917. https://search.worldcat.org/issn/1473-9917
Gunston 1957, p. 778; Lake 2003b, pp. 101. - Gunston, Bill (15 November 1957). "Boeing B-52:The Strategic Stratofortress". Flight. Vol. 72, no. 2547. pp. 771–778. Archived from the original on 24 July 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20120724023218/http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1957/1957%20-%201683.html?tracked=1
Eden 2004, p. 71. - Eden, Paul, ed. (2004). "Boeing B-52 Stratofortress". Encyclopedia of Modern Military Aircraft. London: Amber Books. ISBN 978-1-904687-84-9.
Tagg 2004, p. 91; Trimble 2009. - Tagg, Lori S. (2004). Development of the B-52: The Wright Field Story (PDF). Dayton, Ohio: History Office Aeronautical Systems Center, Air Force Materiel Command, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, United States Air Force. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 October 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20081001200007/http://www.ascho.wpafb.af.mil/B52/B-52%20Book.pdf
"USAF Radar Jamming Technology." Proxify.org. Retrieved 9 April 2010.[better source needed] http://proxify.org/p/001010A1000000/687474703a2f2f7777772e61726d6564666f726365732d696e742e636f6d2f6e6577732f757361665f72616461725f6a616d6d696e675f746563686e6f6c6f67792e68746d6c
Trimble 2009. - Trimble, Stephen (3 March 2009). "US Air Force cancels SAM-jamming EB-52 for the second time". Flight International. Archived from the original on 11 August 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200811165158/https://www.flightglobal.com/us-air-force-cancels-sam-jamming-eb-52-for-second-time/85352.article
"Air Force Begins Massive B-52 Overhaul." DoDBuzz.com, 12 July 2013. Archived 5 December 2017 at the Wayback Machine http://www.dodbuzz.com/2013/07/12/air-force-begins-massive-b-52-overhaul/
Defense Industry Daily staff (12 May 2014). "CONECT: B-52H Reach Digital Age with Communications Upgrades". Defense Industry Daily. Retrieved 1 March 2023. http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/b52h-receiving-216m-communications-upgrade-0278/
"Air Force Begins Massive B-52 Overhaul." DoDBuzz.com, 12 July 2013. Archived 5 December 2017 at the Wayback Machine http://www.dodbuzz.com/2013/07/12/air-force-begins-massive-b-52-overhaul/
Osborn, Kris (6 March 2018). "Meet the 'New' B-52 Bomber: How This Old Plane Can Drop Even More Bombs". The National Interest. https://nationalinterest.org/blog/the-buzz/meet-the-new-b-52-bomber-how-old-plane-can-drop-even-more-24768
"USAF B-52 Bomber Internal Weapons Bay to Increase its Capability". Deagel.com. 23 September 2013. Archived from the original on 11 December 2022. https://www.deagel.com/news/n000011943
Ray, Mike W. (8 January 2014). "B-52 upgrade to increase smart-weapons capacity". United States Air Force. Archived from the original on 8 February 2023. https://www.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/467901/b-52-upgrade-to-increase-smart-weapons-capacity/
Szondy, David (23 January 2015). "The B-52 gets upgraded weapons bay". New Atlas. https://newatlas.com/b-52-weapons-bay/35706/
Osborn, Kris (7 February 2017). "U.S. Air Force Scientists are Working to Arm the B-52 Bomber with Laser Weapons". The National Interest. http://nationalinterest.org/blog/the-buzz/us-air-force-scientists-are-working-arm-the-b-52-bomber-19360
"New Image Shows How B-52 Will Look After Engine, Radar Replacement". Air and Space Forces Magazine. 19 October 2022. https://www.airandspaceforces.com/new-image-shows-how-b-52h-will-look-after-engine-radar-replacement/
"B-52 Will Get at Least One New Designation With Radar, Engine Upgrades". Air and Space Forces Magazine. 10 August 2022. https://www.airandspaceforces.com/b-52-will-get-at-least-one-new-designation-with-radar-engine-upgrades/
"B-52 Will Get at Least One New Designation With Radar, Engine Upgrades". Air and Space Forces Magazine. 10 August 2022. https://www.airandspaceforces.com/b-52-will-get-at-least-one-new-designation-with-radar-engine-upgrades/
"With new radar and engines in sight, the B-52 gets ready for 'largest modification in its history'". 26 August 2022. https://breakingdefense.com/2022/08/with-new-radar-and-engines-in-sight-the-b-52-gets-ready-for-largest-modification-in-its-history/
Tirpak, John (18 June 2024). "New Report: B-52J Initial Operational Capability Slips to 2033". Air & Space Forces Magazine. https://www.airandspaceforces.com/gao-b-52j-initial-operational-capability-three-year-delay/
Tegler 2000, p. xiii. - Tegler, Jan (2000). B-47 Stratojet: Boeing's Brilliant Bomber. McGraw-Hill. ISBN 978-0-07-135567-4.
Tegler 2000, pp. 84–85. - Tegler, Jan (2000). B-47 Stratojet: Boeing's Brilliant Bomber. McGraw-Hill. ISBN 978-0-07-135567-4.
Higham 2005, pp. 43–44. - Higham, Robin SD (2005). Flying American Combat Aircraft: The Cold War. Stackpole Books. ISBN 978-0-8117-3238-3.
Trevithick, Joseph (12 May 2017). "The U.S. Air Force's Last Tail Gunner Has Retired". The Drive. Retrieved 1 July 2019. https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/10237/the-u-s-air-forces-last-tail-gunner-has-retired
Tagg 2004, p. 87; Knaack 1988, pp. 254–255. - Tagg, Lori S. (2004). Development of the B-52: The Wright Field Story (PDF). Dayton, Ohio: History Office Aeronautical Systems Center, Air Force Materiel Command, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, United States Air Force. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 October 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20081001200007/http://www.ascho.wpafb.af.mil/B52/B-52%20Book.pdf
Lake 2003b, p. 101; Knaack 1988, p. 259. - Lake, Jon (Summer 2003). "Boeing B-52 variants: Part 2 B-52D to 'B-52J'". International Air Power Review. Vol. 9. Norwalk, CT, USA: AIRtime Publishing. pp. 100–115. ISBN 978-1-880588-56-7. ISSN 1473-9917. https://search.worldcat.org/issn/1473-9917
Knaack 1988, pp. 276–277. - Knaack, Marcelle Size (1988). Post-World War II Bombers, 1945–1973 (PDF). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 978-0-16-002260-9. https://media.defense.gov/2010/May/26/2001330264/-1/-1/0/AFD-100526-026.pdf
Knaack 1988, pp. 276–277. - Knaack, Marcelle Size (1988). Post-World War II Bombers, 1945–1973 (PDF). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 978-0-16-002260-9. https://media.defense.gov/2010/May/26/2001330264/-1/-1/0/AFD-100526-026.pdf
Knaack 1988, pp. 266–267. - Knaack, Marcelle Size (1988). Post-World War II Bombers, 1945–1973 (PDF). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 978-0-16-002260-9. https://media.defense.gov/2010/May/26/2001330264/-1/-1/0/AFD-100526-026.pdf
Sorenson 1995, p. 127. - Sorenson, David (1995). The Politics of Strategic Aircraft Modernization. Praeger. ISBN 978-0-275-95258-7.
"B-52 flight uses synthetic fuel in all eight engines". United States Air Force. 16 December 2006. Retrieved 1 March 2023. https://www.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/128702/b-52-flight-uses-synthetic-fuel-in-all-eight-engines
"SECAF certifies synthetic fuel blends for B-52H". United States Air Force. 7 August 2007. Retrieved 1 March 2023. https://www.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/126057/secaf-certifies-synthetic-fuel-blends-for-b-52h/
Abzug & Larrabee 2002, pp. 105–108. - Abzug, Malcolm J; Larrabee, E. Eugene (2002). Airplane Stability and Control (Second ed.). New York: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-80992-4.
Jenkins & Rogers 1990, p. 15. - Jenkins, Dennis R; Rogers, Brian (1990). Boeing B-52G/H Stratofortress. Aerofax Datagraph 7. Arlington, Texas: Aerofax Inc. ISBN 0-942548-11-6.
Bento Silva de Mattos. "Boeing B-52 Stratofortress". Archived from the original on 2 February 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150202052322/http://www.aer.ita.br/~bmattos/mundo/bomb/b52.htm
Abzug & Larrabee 2002, pp. 105–108. - Abzug, Malcolm J; Larrabee, E. Eugene (2002). Airplane Stability and Control (Second ed.). New York: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-80992-4.
Bento Silva de Mattos. "Boeing B-52 Stratofortress". Archived from the original on 2 February 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150202052322/http://www.aer.ita.br/~bmattos/mundo/bomb/b52.htm
Knaack 1988, pp. 279–280. - Knaack, Marcelle Size (1988). Post-World War II Bombers, 1945–1973 (PDF). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 978-0-16-002260-9. https://media.defense.gov/2010/May/26/2001330264/-1/-1/0/AFD-100526-026.pdf
Willis 2005b, pp. 41–43. - Willis, David (November 2005). "Boeing's Timeless Deterrent, Part 2: B-52 Stratofortress – The Permanent Spear Tip". Air Enthusiast. No. 120. Stamford, Lincs, UK: Key Publishing. pp. 50–73. ISSN 0143-5450. https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0143-5450
Condor 1994, p. 38. - Condor, Albert E (1994). Air Force Gunners (AFGA): The Men Behind the Guns, The History of Enlisted Aerial Gunnery, 1917–1991. Nashville, Tennessee: Turner Publishing. ISBN 978-1-56311-167-9.
"Computers in Spaceflight: The NASA Experience." Archived 15 February 2017 at the Wayback Machine NASA. Retrieved 2 October 2011. https://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/History/computers/Ch4-3.html
Hopper, David. (31 March 2008). Upgraded B-52 Still on Cutting Edge (PDF) (Report). Weapon System Technology Information Analysis Center (WSTIAC). Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 July 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20110707111918/http://wstiac.alionscience.com/pdf/eNews_WSMR_041808.pdf
Neuenswander, David (28 June 2001). "Joint Laser Interoperability, Tomorrow's Answer to Precision Engagement" (PDF). Air & Space Power Journal. Archived from the original on 13 February 2011. https://www.airuniversity.af.edu/Portals/10/ASPJ/journals/Chronicles/neuenswander.pdf
Knaack 1988, pp. 277–278. - Knaack, Marcelle Size (1988). Post-World War II Bombers, 1945–1973 (PDF). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 978-0-16-002260-9. https://media.defense.gov/2010/May/26/2001330264/-1/-1/0/AFD-100526-026.pdf
Tagg 2004, p. 89. - Tagg, Lori S. (2004). Development of the B-52: The Wright Field Story (PDF). Dayton, Ohio: History Office Aeronautical Systems Center, Air Force Materiel Command, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, United States Air Force. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 October 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20081001200007/http://www.ascho.wpafb.af.mil/B52/B-52%20Book.pdf
Polmar 2005, p. 529. - Polmar, Norman (2005). The Naval Institute Guide to the Ships and Aircraft of the U.S. Fleet. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 978-1-59114-685-8.
Willis 2005b, pp. 44–45. - Willis, David (November 2005). "Boeing's Timeless Deterrent, Part 2: B-52 Stratofortress – The Permanent Spear Tip". Air Enthusiast. No. 120. Stamford, Lincs, UK: Key Publishing. pp. 50–73. ISSN 0143-5450. https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0143-5450
Dorr & Rogers 1996, pp. 65–66. - Dorr, Robert F; Rogers, Brian C (Winter 1996). "Boeing B-52H: The Ultimate Warrior". World Air Power Journal. 27. London: Aerospace Publishing: 54–101. ISBN 978-1-874023-83-8. ISSN 0959-7050. https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0959-7050
Polmar 2005, p. 532. - Polmar, Norman (2005). The Naval Institute Guide to the Ships and Aircraft of the U.S. Fleet. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 978-1-59114-685-8.
Lake & 2003b, pp. 108–109. - Lake, Jon (Summer 2003). "Boeing B-52 variants: Part 2 B-52D to 'B-52J'". International Air Power Review. Vol. 9. Norwalk, CT, USA: AIRtime Publishing. pp. 100–115. ISBN 978-1-880588-56-7. ISSN 1473-9917. https://search.worldcat.org/issn/1473-9917
The Have Nap missile, carried only by the B-52, enabled stand-off attacks on targets while maintaining a "man-in-the-loop" guidance system capability.[117]
Lake 2003b, p. 114. - Lake, Jon (Summer 2003). "Boeing B-52 variants: Part 2 B-52D to 'B-52J'". International Air Power Review. Vol. 9. Norwalk, CT, USA: AIRtime Publishing. pp. 100–115. ISBN 978-1-880588-56-7. ISSN 1473-9917. https://search.worldcat.org/issn/1473-9917
Lake 2001, pp. 290–291; Dorr & Rogers 1996, pp. 81–82. - Lake, Jon (May 2001). "Boeing B-52 Stratofortress: Towards the Octogenarian Bomber". Air International. Vol. 60, no. 5. Stamford, Lincs, UK: Key Publishing. pp. 286–293. ISSN 0306-5634. https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0306-5634
Kristensen, Hans (25 May 2017). "B-52 Bomber No Longer Delivers Nuclear Gravity Bombs". Federation of American Scientists. Retrieved 1 March 2023. https://fas.org/blogs/security/2017/05/b-52-bombs/
Trevithick, Joseph (19 January 2020). "The Air Force's B-52H Bomber Force Has Said Goodbye To Its Nuclear Bombs". The War Zone. TheDrive.com. Retrieved 14 January 2020. https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/31825/the-air-forces-b-52h-bomber-force-has-said-goodbye-to-its-nuclear-bombs
Raatz, Joseph (20 September 2013). "Upgrade gives B-52 more teeth". United States Air Force. Archived from the original on 27 September 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20130927054852/http://www.afgsc.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123364101
Pawlyk, Oriana (12 February 2018). "To Make Way for Future Bomber, AF Plans to Retire B-1, B-2 in 2030s". Military.com. https://www.military.com/daily-news/2018/02/12/make-way-b-21-air-force-plans-retire-b-1-b-2-2030s.html
Insinna, Valerie (15 September 2020). "Here are some of the upgrades coming to the US Air Force's oldest bomber". https://www.defensenews.com/smr/global-strike/2019/09/15/here-are-some-of-the-upgrades-coming-to-the-us-air-forces-oldest-bomber/
Bento Silva de Mattos. "Boeing B-52 Stratofortress". Archived from the original on 2 February 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150202052322/http://www.aer.ita.br/~bmattos/mundo/bomb/b52.htm
"Boeing B-52 Stratofortress Airplane Videos and Airplane Pictures". Living Warbirds. Retrieved 13 December 2022. http://www.livingwarbirds.com/boeing-b52.php
Bento Silva de Mattos. "Boeing B-52 Stratofortress". Archived from the original on 2 February 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150202052322/http://www.aer.ita.br/~bmattos/mundo/bomb/b52.htm
Jenkins 1999, p. 39. - Jenkins, Dennis R (1999). B-1 Lancer: The Most Complicated Warplane Ever Developed. New York: McGraw-Hill. ISBN 978-0-07-134694-8. https://books.google.com/books?id=YHwLAAAACAAJ&pg=PP1
Rolfsen, Bruce (15 April 2002). "The B-52's big 5-0; The Stratofortress cuts a wide swath – and may see another 40 years' service". Air Force Times. The new engines are more fuel efficient and would increase the jet's total engine thrust to 172,400 pounds, nearly a two- thirds improvement over TF33 engines, advocates said. Air Force officials are unconvinced that savings in fuel costs or tanker sorties would justify the new engines. In its 1996 proposal, Boeing estimated the Air Force would save US$4.7 billion by leasing the new engines for 71 B-52s
Lake 2003b, p. 115. - Lake, Jon (Summer 2003). "Boeing B-52 variants: Part 2 B-52D to 'B-52J'". International Air Power Review. Vol. 9. Norwalk, CT, USA: AIRtime Publishing. pp. 100–115. ISBN 978-1-880588-56-7. ISSN 1473-9917. https://search.worldcat.org/issn/1473-9917
Air Force Depot Maintenance: Information on the Cost-Effectiveness of B-1 and B-52 Support Options (PDF) (Report). U.S. Government Accountability Office. 12 September 1997. Retrieved 17 June 2021. https://www.gao.gov/assets/nsiad-97-210br.pdf
"Air Force widens review of B-52 reengining options". Aviation Week. 7 July 2003. (subscription required) http://aviationweek.com/awin/aair-force-widens-review-b-52-re-engining-options
"Defense Science Board Task Force on B-52H Re-Engining" (PDF). Defense Science Board. June 2004. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 April 2017. Retrieved 2 July 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170429175925/http://www.acq.osd.mil/dsb/reports/2000s/ADA428790.pdf
Reim, Garrett (27 April 2020). "US Air Force issues draft request for proposal to replace B-52 engines". Flight International. Retrieved 28 April 2020. https://www.flightglobal.com/fixed-wing/us-air-force-issues-draft-request-for-proposal-to-replace-b-52-engines/138099.article
Reim, Garrett (27 April 2020). "US Air Force issues draft request for proposal to replace B-52 engines". Flight International. Retrieved 28 April 2020. https://www.flightglobal.com/fixed-wing/us-air-force-issues-draft-request-for-proposal-to-replace-b-52-engines/138099.article
Tirpak, John (24 September 2021). "Rolls-Royce Wins B-52 Reengining Program Worth $2.6 Billion". Air Force Magazine. https://www.airforcemag.com/rolls-royce-wins-b-52-re-engining-program-worth-2-6-billion/
Tirpak, John A. (5 April 2023). "It's Official: The Re-Engined B-52 Will be the B-52J". Air & Space Forces Magazine. Retrieved 10 April 2023. https://www.airandspaceforces.com/re-engined-b-52-b-52j/
Tirpak, John (21 January 2019). "Reengining the B-52". Air Force Magazine. https://www.airforcemag.com/article/re-engining-the-b-52
Tirpak, John A. (5 April 2023). "It's Official: The Re-Engined B-52 Will be the B-52J". Air & Space Forces Magazine. Retrieved 10 April 2023. https://www.airandspaceforces.com/re-engined-b-52-b-52j/
Knaack 1988. - Knaack, Marcelle Size (1988). Post-World War II Bombers, 1945–1973 (PDF). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 978-0-16-002260-9. https://media.defense.gov/2010/May/26/2001330264/-1/-1/0/AFD-100526-026.pdf
1634–1699: McCusker, J. J. (1997). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700–1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved 29 February 2024. /wiki/John_J._McCusker
Knaack 1988, pp. 234–237. - Knaack, Marcelle Size (1988). Post-World War II Bombers, 1945–1973 (PDF). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 978-0-16-002260-9. https://media.defense.gov/2010/May/26/2001330264/-1/-1/0/AFD-100526-026.pdf
Boyne 2001, p. 216. - Boyne, Walter J (2001). The Best of Wings Magazine. Aircraft in Profile. Vol. 13. New York: Brassey's. ISBN 978-1-57488-368-8.
Knaack 1988, p. 237. - Knaack, Marcelle Size (1988). Post-World War II Bombers, 1945–1973 (PDF). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 978-0-16-002260-9. https://media.defense.gov/2010/May/26/2001330264/-1/-1/0/AFD-100526-026.pdf
Boyne 2001, p. 220. - Boyne, Walter J (2001). The Best of Wings Magazine. Aircraft in Profile. Vol. 13. New York: Brassey's. ISBN 978-1-57488-368-8.
Knaack 1988, p. 237. - Knaack, Marcelle Size (1988). Post-World War II Bombers, 1945–1973 (PDF). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 978-0-16-002260-9. https://media.defense.gov/2010/May/26/2001330264/-1/-1/0/AFD-100526-026.pdf
Knaack 1988, p. 238. - Knaack, Marcelle Size (1988). Post-World War II Bombers, 1945–1973 (PDF). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 978-0-16-002260-9. https://media.defense.gov/2010/May/26/2001330264/-1/-1/0/AFD-100526-026.pdf
Lake 2003a, p. 119. - Lake, Jon (Spring 2003). "Variant Briefing: Boeing B-52 Stratofortress: Part 1". International Air Power Review. Vol. 8. Norwalk, CT, USA: AIRtime Publishing. pp. 106–121. ISBN 978-1-880588-54-3. ISSN 1473-9917. https://search.worldcat.org/issn/1473-9917
Knaack 1988, p. 240. - Knaack, Marcelle Size (1988). Post-World War II Bombers, 1945–1973 (PDF). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 978-0-16-002260-9. https://media.defense.gov/2010/May/26/2001330264/-1/-1/0/AFD-100526-026.pdf
Knaack 1988, p. 243. - Knaack, Marcelle Size (1988). Post-World War II Bombers, 1945–1973 (PDF). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 978-0-16-002260-9. https://media.defense.gov/2010/May/26/2001330264/-1/-1/0/AFD-100526-026.pdf
Knaack 1988, p. 244. - Knaack, Marcelle Size (1988). Post-World War II Bombers, 1945–1973 (PDF). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 978-0-16-002260-9. https://media.defense.gov/2010/May/26/2001330264/-1/-1/0/AFD-100526-026.pdf
Condor 1994, p. 42. - Condor, Albert E (1994). Air Force Gunners (AFGA): The Men Behind the Guns, The History of Enlisted Aerial Gunnery, 1917–1991. Nashville, Tennessee: Turner Publishing. ISBN 978-1-56311-167-9.
The 93rd Bomb Wing received the Mackay Trophy for accomplishing their round-the-world non-stop flight in January 1957.[144] /wiki/Mackay_Trophy
Knaack 1988, p. 259. - Knaack, Marcelle Size (1988). Post-World War II Bombers, 1945–1973 (PDF). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 978-0-16-002260-9. https://media.defense.gov/2010/May/26/2001330264/-1/-1/0/AFD-100526-026.pdf
Knaack 1988, p. 282. - Knaack, Marcelle Size (1988). Post-World War II Bombers, 1945–1973 (PDF). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 978-0-16-002260-9. https://media.defense.gov/2010/May/26/2001330264/-1/-1/0/AFD-100526-026.pdf
Knaack 1988, p. 289. - Knaack, Marcelle Size (1988). Post-World War II Bombers, 1945–1973 (PDF). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 978-0-16-002260-9. https://media.defense.gov/2010/May/26/2001330264/-1/-1/0/AFD-100526-026.pdf
"11 January 1962". This Day in Aviation. 11 January 2017. https://www.thisdayinaviation.com/11-january-1962/
Tillman 2007, p. 100. - Tillman, Barrett (2007). LeMay: A Biography. Basingstoke, Hampshire, UK: Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN 978-1-4039-7135-7. https://books.google.com/books?id=B3dqCgAAQBAJ&pg=PP1
Rosenberg, David A (Spring 1983). "The Origins of Overkill: Nuclear Weapons and American Strategy, 1945–1960". International Security. 7 (4): 3–71. doi:10.2307/2626731. JSTOR 2626731. S2CID 154529784. /wiki/International_Security_(journal)
Kristensen, Hans M. "The Airborne Alert Program Over Greenland". The Nuclear Information Project. Retrieved 2 October 2011. http://www.nukestrat.com/dk/alert.htm
Parrington, Alan J (Winter 1997). "Mutually Assured Destruction Revisited, Strategic Doctrine in Question" (PDF). Airpower Journal. Archived (PDF) from the original on 7 March 2022. https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/pdfs/ADA529841.pdf
Jenkins 1999, p. 21; Spick 1986, pp. 4–5. - Jenkins, Dennis R (1999). B-1 Lancer: The Most Complicated Warplane Ever Developed. New York: McGraw-Hill. ISBN 978-0-07-134694-8. https://books.google.com/books?id=YHwLAAAACAAJ&pg=PP1
"May 1960 – The U-2 Incident. – Soviet and American Statements." Keesing's Record of World Events, Volume 6, 1960. http://www.keesings.com/search?kssp_selected_tab=article&kssp_a_id=17425n01sov
Spick 1986, pp. 6–8. - Spick, Mike (1986). Modern Fighting Aircraft, B-1B. New York: Prentice Hall. ISBN 978-0-13-055237-2. https://books.google.com/books?id=vw5_PQAACAAJ&pg=PP1
Jones, Tom (November 2005). "A Full Retaliatory Response". Smithsonian. https://www.airspacemag.com/history-of-flight/a-full-retaliatory-response-6909238/
Knaack 1988, pp. 279–180. - Knaack, Marcelle Size (1988). Post-World War II Bombers, 1945–1973 (PDF). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 978-0-16-002260-9. https://media.defense.gov/2010/May/26/2001330264/-1/-1/0/AFD-100526-026.pdf
Tagg 2004, p. 87; Spick 1986, pp. 6–8. - Tagg, Lori S. (2004). Development of the B-52: The Wright Field Story (PDF). Dayton, Ohio: History Office Aeronautical Systems Center, Air Force Materiel Command, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, United States Air Force. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 October 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20081001200007/http://www.ascho.wpafb.af.mil/B52/B-52%20Book.pdf
Knaack 1988, pp. 252–254. - Knaack, Marcelle Size (1988). Post-World War II Bombers, 1945–1973 (PDF). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 978-0-16-002260-9. https://media.defense.gov/2010/May/26/2001330264/-1/-1/0/AFD-100526-026.pdf
Knaack 1988, pp. 252–254. - Knaack, Marcelle Size (1988). Post-World War II Bombers, 1945–1973 (PDF). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 978-0-16-002260-9. https://media.defense.gov/2010/May/26/2001330264/-1/-1/0/AFD-100526-026.pdf
Miller 1985, pp. 69–70; Greenwood 1995, p. 289. - Miller, Jay (1985). Convair B-58 Hustler: The World's First Supersonic Bomber. Midland, UK: Aerofax. ISBN 978-0-942548-26-6. https://books.google.com/books?id=nJ8DAAAACAAJ&pg=PP1
Astronautics and Aeronautics, 1965: Chronology on Science, Technology, and Policy. National Aeronautics and Space Administration. 1963. p. 84. NASA SP-4006. Retrieved 5 June 2010 – via NASA Historical Staff, Office of Policy Analysis. https://archive.org/details/astronauticsaero65unit/page/83
Schwartz 1998, p. 119. - Schwartz, Stephen I (1998). Atomic Audit: The Costs and Consequences of U.S. Nuclear Weapons since 1940. Washington, DC: Brookings Institution Press. ISBN 0-8157-7773-6.
Lake 2003b, p. 103. - Lake, Jon (Summer 2003). "Boeing B-52 variants: Part 2 B-52D to 'B-52J'". International Air Power Review. Vol. 9. Norwalk, CT, USA: AIRtime Publishing. pp. 100–115. ISBN 978-1-880588-56-7. ISSN 1473-9917. https://search.worldcat.org/issn/1473-9917
Anderson, William. "Guam Jets Bomb S. Viet." Chicago Tribune, 18 June 1965. https://web.archive.org/web/20120725110958/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/chicagotribune/access/585846462.html?dids=585846462:585846462&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:AI&type=historic&date=Jun+18%2C+1965&author=&pub=Chicago+Tribune&desc=GUAM+JETS+BOMB+S.+VIET&pqatl=google
Hobson 2001, pp. 22–23. - Hobson, Chris (2001). Vietnam Air Losses, USAF, USN, USMC, Fixed-Wing Aircraft Losses in Southeast Asia 1961–1973. North Branch, Minnesota: Specialty Press. ISBN 978-1-85780-115-6.
Schlight 1988, p. 52. - Schlight, John (1988). The War in South Vietnam: The Years of the Offensive, 1965–1968 (The United States Air Force in Southeast Asia). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History, United States Air Force. ISBN 978-0-912799-51-3.
Lake 2004, p. 30. - Lake, Jon (2004). B-52 Stratofortress Units in Operation Desert Storm. London: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-0-85045-026-2. https://books.google.com/books?id=9rVZ8SAnYEQC&pg=PP1
Dick & Patterson 2006, p. 161. - Dick, Ron; Patterson, Dan (2006). Aviation Century: War & Peace in the Air. Eden Prairie, Ontario: Boston Mills Press. ISBN 978-1-55046-430-6. https://books.google.com/books?id=V9eyAAAACAAJ&pg=PP1
Knaack 1988, p. 256. - Knaack, Marcelle Size (1988). Post-World War II Bombers, 1945–1973 (PDF). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 978-0-16-002260-9. https://media.defense.gov/2010/May/26/2001330264/-1/-1/0/AFD-100526-026.pdf
Donald 1997, pp. 161–162. - Donald, David (1997). The Encyclopedia of World Aircraft. Etobicoke, Ontario, Canada: Prospero Books. ISBN 978-1-85605-375-4.
Dick & Patterson 2006, p. 161. - Dick, Ron; Patterson, Dan (2006). Aviation Century: War & Peace in the Air. Eden Prairie, Ontario: Boston Mills Press. ISBN 978-1-55046-430-6. https://books.google.com/books?id=V9eyAAAACAAJ&pg=PP1
Nguyen, Tin (21 August 2018). "A New Look at Ia Drang". HistoryNet. https://www.historynet.com/new-look-ia-drang.htm
"Reds Down First B-52 of War." Los Angeles Times, 22 November 1972. https://web.archive.org/web/20120725072054/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/660769172.html?dids=660769172:660769172&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:AI&type=historic&date=Nov+22%2C+1972&author=&pub=Los+Angeles+Times&desc=Reds+Down+First+B-52+of+War&pqatl=google
"B-52 Downed by the North; First of the War, U.S. Says". The New York Times. 22 November 1972. https://www.nytimes.com/1972/11/23/archives/b52-downed-by-the-north-first-of-the-war-us-says-b52-shot-down-by.html
"First B-52 shot down over North Vietnam". History.com. 22 November 1972. https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/first-b-52-shot-down-over-north-vietnam
Dick & Patterson 2006, p. 187; Condor 1994, p. 38; Budiansky 2004, p. 394. - Dick, Ron; Patterson, Dan (2006). Aviation Century: War & Peace in the Air. Eden Prairie, Ontario: Boston Mills Press. ISBN 978-1-55046-430-6. https://books.google.com/books?id=V9eyAAAACAAJ&pg=PP1
Lake 2004, p. 32. - Lake, Jon (2004). B-52 Stratofortress Units in Operation Desert Storm. London: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-0-85045-026-2. https://books.google.com/books?id=9rVZ8SAnYEQC&pg=PP1
Dorr & Peacock 2000. - Dorr, Robert F; Peacock, Lindsay T (2000). B-52 Stratofortress: Boeing's Cold War Warrior. Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-8417-6097-1.
McCarthy 2009, p. 172. - McCarthy, Donald J Jr (2009). MiG Killers: A Chronology of US Air Victories in Vietnam 1965–1973. North Branch, Minnesota: Specialty Press. ISBN 978-1-58007-136-9.
McCarthy 2009, p. 139. - McCarthy, Donald J Jr (2009). MiG Killers: A Chronology of US Air Victories in Vietnam 1965–1973. North Branch, Minnesota: Specialty Press. ISBN 978-1-58007-136-9.
McCarthy 2009, p. 19. - McCarthy, Donald J Jr (2009). MiG Killers: A Chronology of US Air Victories in Vietnam 1965–1973. North Branch, Minnesota: Specialty Press. ISBN 978-1-58007-136-9.
McCarthy 2009, p. 139. - McCarthy, Donald J Jr (2009). MiG Killers: A Chronology of US Air Victories in Vietnam 1965–1973. North Branch, Minnesota: Specialty Press. ISBN 978-1-58007-136-9.
Futrell et al. 1976. - Futrell, R Frank; Greenhalgh, William H; Grubb, Carl; et al. (1976). Aces & Aerial Victories: The United States Air Force in Southeast Asia, 1965–1973. Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 978-0-89875-884-9.
McCarthy 2009, p. 139. - McCarthy, Donald J Jr (2009). MiG Killers: A Chronology of US Air Victories in Vietnam 1965–1973. North Branch, Minnesota: Specialty Press. ISBN 978-1-58007-136-9.
McCarthy 2009, p. 141. - McCarthy, Donald J Jr (2009). MiG Killers: A Chronology of US Air Victories in Vietnam 1965–1973. North Branch, Minnesota: Specialty Press. ISBN 978-1-58007-136-9.
McCarthy 2009, p. 19. - McCarthy, Donald J Jr (2009). MiG Killers: A Chronology of US Air Victories in Vietnam 1965–1973. North Branch, Minnesota: Specialty Press. ISBN 978-1-58007-136-9.
McCarthy 2009, p. 141. - McCarthy, Donald J Jr (2009). MiG Killers: A Chronology of US Air Victories in Vietnam 1965–1973. North Branch, Minnesota: Specialty Press. ISBN 978-1-58007-136-9.
McCarthy 2009, p. 19. - McCarthy, Donald J Jr (2009). MiG Killers: A Chronology of US Air Victories in Vietnam 1965–1973. North Branch, Minnesota: Specialty Press. ISBN 978-1-58007-136-9.
Toperczer 1998. - Toperczer, Istvan (1998). Air War Over North Viet Nam; The Vietnamese People's Air Force 1949–1977. Carrollton, Texas: Squadron/Signal Publications. ISBN 978-0-89747-390-3.
The following military aircraft are the only aircraft larger than the B-52 in some manner (parameter listed in parentheses may not be the only figure that exceeds the corresponding parameter of the B-52) and possess an air-to-air capability; none has a combat kill: Convair B-36 Peacemaker (wingspan), Convair YB-60 (wingspan), Ilyushin Il-76D (payload). /wiki/Convair_B-36_Peacemaker
"Cambodia is a key to Vietnam peace". Rock Hill Herald. 24 August 1973. Archived from the original on 26 May 2012. Retrieved 29 June 2021. https://archive.today/20120526221727/http://news.google.co.uk/newspapers?id=MB8tAAAAIBAJ&sjid=eqQEAAAAIBAJ&pg=4953,2976730&dq=vietnam&hl=en
Creech, Gray (14 December 2004). "End of an Era: NASA's Famous B-52B Retires". NASA. Archived from the original on 28 February 2023. Retrieved 2 March 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230228163803/https://www.nasa.gov/vision/earth/improvingflight/B-52B_retires.html
"B-52B Stratofortress". Wings Over the Rockies Air & Space Museum. Archived from the original on 7 September 2009. Retrieved 3 November 2009. https://web.archive.org/web/20090907040306/http://www.wingsmuseum.org/exhibit_stratofortress.asp
Seiler, Michael (29 January 1978). "Prepared for an unscheduled flight". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). (Los Angeles Times). p. 3C. https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=mIRfAAAAIBAJ&sjid=4DAMAAAAIBAJ&pg=3852%2C7963535
Holder 1978. - Holder, William G (July 1978). "The Ever-changing Fleet" (PDF). Air University Review. 29 (5). Archived from the original on 1 April 2012. https://www.airuniversity.af.edu/Portals/10/ASPJ/journals/1978_Vol29_No1-6/1978_Vol29_No5.pdf
Willis 2005b, p. 39. - Willis, David (November 2005). "Boeing's Timeless Deterrent, Part 2: B-52 Stratofortress – The Permanent Spear Tip". Air Enthusiast. No. 120. Stamford, Lincs, UK: Key Publishing. pp. 50–73. ISSN 0143-5450. https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0143-5450
Willis 2005b, p. 41. - Willis, David (November 2005). "Boeing's Timeless Deterrent, Part 2: B-52 Stratofortress – The Permanent Spear Tip". Air Enthusiast. No. 120. Stamford, Lincs, UK: Key Publishing. pp. 50–73. ISSN 0143-5450. https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0143-5450
Anderton 1985, pp. 98–99, 174. - Anderton, David (November 1985). "B-1B: Out of the Shadows". Popular Mechanics. Vol. 162, no. 11. pp. 98–99, 174. https://books.google.com/books?id=_-MDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA88
Bailey, Carl E. "325 Weapons Squadron (ACC)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. United States Air Force. Archived from the original on 11 June 2010. https://www.dafhistory.af.mil/About-Us/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/433570/325-weapons-squadron-acc/
"B-52 Stratofortress History". Federation of American Scientists. 1 February 1998. https://fas.org/nuke/guide/usa/bomber/b-52_hist.htm
Willis 2005b, pp. 51–52. - Willis, David (November 2005). "Boeing's Timeless Deterrent, Part 2: B-52 Stratofortress – The Permanent Spear Tip". Air Enthusiast. No. 120. Stamford, Lincs, UK: Key Publishing. pp. 50–73. ISSN 0143-5450. https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0143-5450
"Facts Sheets: 2nd Bomb Wing". March 2021. Archived from the original on 2 November 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20221102212126/https://www.barksdale.af.mil/About-Us/Fact-Sheets/Article/320180/2nd-bomb-wing/
Willis 2005b, p. 50. - Willis, David (November 2005). "Boeing's Timeless Deterrent, Part 2: B-52 Stratofortress – The Permanent Spear Tip". Air Enthusiast. No. 120. Stamford, Lincs, UK: Key Publishing. pp. 50–73. ISSN 0143-5450. https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0143-5450
"Boeing B-52 evolves again with guided weapons launcher". FlightGlobal. 15 January 2016. https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/boeing-b-52-evolves-again-with-guided-weapons-launch-420874/
Cordesman & Wagner 1996, p. 451. - Cordesman, Anthony H.; Wagner, Abraham R. (1996). The Lessons of Modern War: The Gulf War. Boulder, Colo.: Westview Press. ISBN 978-0-8133-8601-0.
Dick & Patterson 2006, p. 225. - Dick, Ron; Patterson, Dan (2006). Aviation Century: War & Peace in the Air. Eden Prairie, Ontario: Boston Mills Press. ISBN 978-1-55046-430-6. https://books.google.com/books?id=V9eyAAAACAAJ&pg=PP1
Garvey 1999. - Garvey, William (March 1999). "New Life for Buff: Older than its pilots, the B-52 gets ready to fly for 100 years". Popular Mechanics. https://books.google.com/books?id=PmYEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PP1
"B-52 Stratofortress". United States Air Force. Retrieved 2 March 2023. https://www.af.mil/About-Us/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/104465/b-52h-stratofortress/
Lake 2004, p. 48. - Lake, Jon (2004). B-52 Stratofortress Units in Operation Desert Storm. London: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-0-85045-026-2. https://books.google.com/books?id=9rVZ8SAnYEQC&pg=PP1
Lake 2004, pp. 47–48. - Lake, Jon (2004). B-52 Stratofortress Units in Operation Desert Storm. London: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-0-85045-026-2. https://books.google.com/books?id=9rVZ8SAnYEQC&pg=PP1
Condor 1994, p. 44. - Condor, Albert E (1994). Air Force Gunners (AFGA): The Men Behind the Guns, The History of Enlisted Aerial Gunnery, 1917–1991. Nashville, Tennessee: Turner Publishing. ISBN 978-1-56311-167-9.
A B-52B, Balls 8, was in use by NASA, a civilian US government entity, until 17 December 2004. /wiki/Balls_8
"Past Projects: B-52 Heavy-lift Airborne Launch Aircraft". NASA. Retrieved 12 August 2009. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/dryden/history/pastprojects/B-52/index.html
Dick & Patterson 2006, p. 222. - Dick, Ron; Patterson, Dan (2006). Aviation Century: War & Peace in the Air. Eden Prairie, Ontario: Boston Mills Press. ISBN 978-1-55046-430-6. https://books.google.com/books?id=V9eyAAAACAAJ&pg=PP1
Steele, Johnathan (17 July 1999). "Ghost village marks the battle that ended the war". The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/world/1999/jul/17/balkans
Willis 2005b, pp. 56–57. - Willis, David (November 2005). "Boeing's Timeless Deterrent, Part 2: B-52 Stratofortress – The Permanent Spear Tip". Air Enthusiast. No. 120. Stamford, Lincs, UK: Key Publishing. pp. 50–73. ISSN 0143-5450. https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0143-5450
"Smart Bombs Keep B-52s in Business". StrategyPage.com. 10 October 2013. http://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htairfo/20131010.aspx
Dick & Patterson 2006, p. 242. - Dick, Ron; Patterson, Dan (2006). Aviation Century: War & Peace in the Air. Eden Prairie, Ontario: Boston Mills Press. ISBN 978-1-55046-430-6. https://books.google.com/books?id=V9eyAAAACAAJ&pg=PP1
"B-52 Stratofortress History". Federation of American Scientists. 1 February 1998. https://fas.org/nuke/guide/usa/bomber/b-52_hist.htm
Cenciotti, David (14 June 2015). "Photos show B-52s loaded with mines for simulated massive naval mine drop outside Sweden". https://theaviationist.com/2015/06/14/photos-show-b-52s-loaded-with-mines-for-simulated-massive-naval-mine-drop-outside-sweden/
Autry, Dale; Norton, Donald G (May 1989). The Increasing Maritime Role of the U.S. Air Force (PDF) (Report). Airforce University. AD-A217 654. Archived (PDF) from the original on 25 December 2019. https://apps.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a217654.pdf
Grant, Rebecca (June 2015). "Airpower Against Ships" (PDF). Airforce Magazine. pp. 34–38. http://www.airforcemag.com/MagazineArchive/Documents/2015/June%202015/0615ships.pdf
Cook, Donald G; Horne, Charles H; Manning, Walter W (March 1987). B-52 Maritime Operation: The Anti-Surface Warfare Mission (ASUW) (PDF) (Report). Airforce University. AD-A186 624. Archived (PDF) from the original on 22 December 2019. https://apps.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a186624.pdf
"These Madmen Flew B-52 Bombers at Wave-Top Heights". War is Boring. 22 July 2013. https://warisboring.com/these-madmen-flew-b-52-bombers-at-wave-top-heights/
"Lower Than a Snake's Belly in a Wagon Rut Redux > Vintage Wings of Canada". VintageWings.ca. Archived from the original on 20 August 2023. Retrieved 29 October 2023. https://www.vintagewings.ca/stories/lower-than-a-snakes-belly
"Transforming the B-52 into a Maritime Patrol Plane". War Is Boring. 27 June 2014. https://warisboring.com/transforming-the-b-52-into-a-maritime-patrol-plane/
"U.S. Air Force B-52s train with U.S. Navy P-8s in East China Sea". Pacific Air Forces. 2 August 2018. https://www.pacaf.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/1592273/us-air-force-b-52s-train-with-us-navy-p-8s-in-east-china-sea/
Machi, Vivienne (11 July 2019). "Raytheon Wins Contract to Provide New AESA Radars to B-52 Aircraft". Defense Daily. https://www.defensedaily.com/raytheon-wins-contract-to-provide-new-aesa-radars-to-b-52-aircraft/air-force/
"New eyes for an old friend". Raytheon. 12 February 2020. https://www.raytheonintelligenceandspace.com/news/2020/02/12/new-eyes-old-friend
Modernized Selected Acquisition Report (MSAR), B-52 Radar Modernization Program (RMP) (B-52 RMP) (PDF) (Report). U.S. Department of Defense. 31 December 2023. https://www.esd.whs.mil/Portals/54/Documents/FOID/Reading%20Room/Selected_Acquisition_Reports/FY_2023_SARS/B-52_RMP_MSAR_Dec_2023.pdf
Warrick, Joby; Pincus, Walter (23 September 2007). "Missteps in the Bunker". The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/story/2007/09/23/ST2007092300048.html
Hoffman, Michael (21 October 2007). "Wing decertified, COs sacked for nuke mistake". Air Force Times. https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2007/10/20/18454937.php
Hopper, David. "B-52 Stratofortress." Archived 22 October 2012 at the Wayback Machine Air Force, 15 April 2011. Retrieved 15 April 2011. http://www.af.mil/information/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=838
Parker, John (30 September 2016). "'Ghost Rider' in the sky: B-52 departs Tinker in historic flight". Air Force. United States Air Force. Archived from the original on 5 May 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170505020239/http://www.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/961002/ghost-rider-in-the-sky-b-52-departs-tinker-in-historic-flight/
Losey, Stephen (17 May 2019). "'Wise Guy' flies again: B-52 resurrected from Boneyard". Air Force Times. https://www.airforcetimes.com/news/your-air-force/2019/05/16/wise-guy-flies-again-b-52-resurrected-from-boneyard/
Information on the Cost-Effectiveness of B-1 and B-52 Support Options (PDF) (Report). United States General Accounting Office. September 1997. GAO/NSIAD-97-210BR. https://www.gao.gov/assets/nsiad-97-210br.pdf
"B-52 Stratofortress". United States Air Force. Retrieved 2 March 2023. https://www.af.mil/About-Us/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/104465/b-52h-stratofortress/
Hebert, Adam J (February 2007). "Strategic Force" (PDF). Air Force Magazine. Vol. 90, no. 2. pp. 38–43 Retrieved: 13 November 2009. Archived from the original on 17 September 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20110917200239/http://www.airforce-magazine.com/MagazineArchive/Documents/2007/February%202007/0207force.pdf
"Sixty years on, the B-52 is still going strong". CNET Military Tech News. 15 April 2012. https://www.cnet.com/science/sixty-years-on-the-b-52-is-still-going-strong/
At least one B-52 aviator's father and grandfather also flew the bomber.[230][231]
Philipps, Dave (5 December 2015). "After 60 Years, B-52s Still Dominate U.S. Fleet". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. https://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/06/us/b-52s-us-air-force-bombers.html
Cortes, Lorenzo (9 May 2003). "B-52 Crew Credits Arsenal, Loiter Capability During Operation Iraqi Freedom". Defense Daily. http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G1-102677802.html
Arana-Barradas 2001. - Arana-Barradas, Louis A (1 June 2001). "'BUFF' and Tough – the B-52 bomber has been a valuable and effective member of the Air Force since 1955". Airman. Archived from the original on 8 July 2012. https://www.thefreelibrary.com/%27BUFF%27+and+Tough.-a077106313
Axe, David (26 March 2012). "Why Can't the Air Force Build an Affordable Plane?". The Atlantic. https://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2012/03/why-cant-the-air-force-build-an-affordable-plane/254998/
Dillow, Clay (5 March 2015). "This single Pentagon program is going to upend the combat jet industry". Fortune. The program will produce 80 to 100 aircraft (at roughly US$550 million per copy), replacing the USAF's legacy fleet of B-52 and B-1 bombers with a stealthy, long-range, nuke-capable strike aircraft entering service around 2020. http://fortune.com/2015/03/05/long-range-strike-bomber/
"Northrop Grumman Wins $21.4 Billion Pentagon Contract". The New York Times. 28 October 2015. https://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/28/business/northrop-grumman-wins-21-4-billion-pentagon-contract.html
Weaver, Dustin (12 November 2015). "US flies B-52 bombers near disputed islands claimed by China". The Hill. https://thehill.com/policy/defense/259958-us-flies-b-52-bombers-near-islands-claimed-by-china/
Yan, Holly (10 January 2016). "U.S. B-52 bomber flies over S. Korea in solidarity after N. Korean nuclear claim". CNN. http://www.cnn.com/2016/01/10/us/b-52-south-korea/
"B-52s arrive in Qatar to join bombing campaign against ISIS". Air Force Times. 9 April 2016. https://www.airforcetimes.com/news/your-air-force/2016/04/09/b-52s-arrive-in-qatar-to-join-bombing-campaign-against-isis/
Pawlyk, Oriana (29 July 2016). "U.S. Air Force reports sharp climb in air strikes against militants in Afghanistan". Air Force Times. http://www.airforcetimes.com/story/military/2016/07/29/us-air-force-reports-sharp-climb-air-strikes-against-militants-afghanistan/87737638/
"News Transcript: Department of Defense Press Briefing by Lieutenant General Harrigian via teleconference from Al Udeid Airbase, Qatar" (Press release). U.S. Department of Defense. 13 February 2018. https://www.defense.gov/News/Transcripts/Transcript/Article/1441080/department-of-defense-press-briefing-by-lieutenant-general-harrigian-via-teleco/
"US B-52 Bombers, Gunships Sent into Action in Afghanistan in Attempt to Stop Taliban Advance on Key Cities". Military.com. 8 August 2021 – via The Times. https://www.military.com/daily-news/2021/08/08/us-b-52-bombers-gunships-sent-action-afghanistan-attempt-stop-taliban-advance-key-cities.html
Liebermann, Oren (4 April 2022). "US tested hypersonic missile in mid-March but kept it quiet to avoid escalating tensions with Russia". CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2022/04/04/politics/us-hypersonic-missile-test/index.html
"A 'strong message to our adversaries': US prepares to deploy B-52 bombers to Top End". Australia: ABC News. 30 October 2022. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-10-31/china-tensions-taiwan-us-military-deploy-bombers-to-australia/101585380
Sorace, Stephen (3 November 2024). "US bombers arrive in Middle East as concerns of Iranian attack on Israel mount". Fox News. Retrieved 4 November 2024. https://www.foxnews.com/world/us-bombers-arrive-middle-east-concerns-iranian-attack-israel-mount
Allison, George (8 December 2024). "U.S. launches mass airstrikes against targets in Syria". Retrieved 9 December 2024. https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/u-s-launches-mass-airstrikes-against-targets-in-syria/
Knaack 1988, p. 291. - Knaack, Marcelle Size (1988). Post-World War II Bombers, 1945–1973 (PDF). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 978-0-16-002260-9. https://media.defense.gov/2010/May/26/2001330264/-1/-1/0/AFD-100526-026.pdf
Knaack 1988. - Knaack, Marcelle Size (1988). Post-World War II Bombers, 1945–1973 (PDF). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 978-0-16-002260-9. https://media.defense.gov/2010/May/26/2001330264/-1/-1/0/AFD-100526-026.pdf
Donald 1997. - Donald, David (1997). The Encyclopedia of World Aircraft. Etobicoke, Ontario, Canada: Prospero Books. ISBN 978-1-85605-375-4.
The electronic warfare officer sat in the rear of the upper flight deck facing the rear.[248]
Dorr 1990, p. 26. - Dorr, Robert F (Summer 1990). "Stratofortress... The Big One from Boeing". Air Enthusiast. 41. Bromley, Kent, UK: Pilot Press: 22–37. ISSN 0143-5450. https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0143-5450
Willis 2005a, p. 70. - Willis, David (September 2005). "Boeing's Timeless Deterrent, Part 1: B-52 Stratofortress – From Conception to Hanoi". Air Enthusiast. No. 119. Stamford, Lincs, UK: Key Publishing. pp. 50–73. ISSN 0143-5450. https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0143-5450
Dorr 1990, p. 26. - Dorr, Robert F (Summer 1990). "Stratofortress... The Big One from Boeing". Air Enthusiast. 41. Bromley, Kent, UK: Pilot Press: 22–37. ISSN 0143-5450. https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0143-5450
Boyne 1982. - Boyne, Walter J (November 1982). "The B-52 Story". Air University Review. Archived from the original on 22 February 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20130222083643/http://www.airpower.maxwell.af.mil/airchronicles/aureview/1982/nov-dec/boyne.html
Lake 2003a, p. 119. - Lake, Jon (Spring 2003). "Variant Briefing: Boeing B-52 Stratofortress: Part 1". International Air Power Review. Vol. 8. Norwalk, CT, USA: AIRtime Publishing. pp. 106–121. ISBN 978-1-880588-54-3. ISSN 1473-9917. https://search.worldcat.org/issn/1473-9917
Donald 1997. - Donald, David (1997). The Encyclopedia of World Aircraft. Etobicoke, Ontario, Canada: Prospero Books. ISBN 978-1-85605-375-4.
Lake 2003a, p. 119. - Lake, Jon (Spring 2003). "Variant Briefing: Boeing B-52 Stratofortress: Part 1". International Air Power Review. Vol. 8. Norwalk, CT, USA: AIRtime Publishing. pp. 106–121. ISBN 978-1-880588-54-3. ISSN 1473-9917. https://search.worldcat.org/issn/1473-9917
Willis 2005a, p. 59. - Willis, David (September 2005). "Boeing's Timeless Deterrent, Part 1: B-52 Stratofortress – From Conception to Hanoi". Air Enthusiast. No. 119. Stamford, Lincs, UK: Key Publishing. pp. 50–73. ISSN 0143-5450. https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0143-5450
"B-52B "Mothership" Launch Aircraft" (PDF). NASA. Retrieved 29 October 2023. https://www.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/171366main_FS-005-DFRC.pdf
Skipper 2024, p. 53. - Skipper, Ben (2024). Boeing B-52 Stratofortress. Havertown: Pen & Sword Books Limited. ISBN 978-1-39908-006-4.
Condor 1994, p. 37. - Condor, Albert E (1994). Air Force Gunners (AFGA): The Men Behind the Guns, The History of Enlisted Aerial Gunnery, 1917–1991. Nashville, Tennessee: Turner Publishing. ISBN 978-1-56311-167-9.
Lake 2003a, p. 121. - Lake, Jon (Spring 2003). "Variant Briefing: Boeing B-52 Stratofortress: Part 1". International Air Power Review. Vol. 8. Norwalk, CT, USA: AIRtime Publishing. pp. 106–121. ISBN 978-1-880588-54-3. ISSN 1473-9917. https://search.worldcat.org/issn/1473-9917
Lake 2003a, p. 121. - Lake, Jon (Spring 2003). "Variant Briefing: Boeing B-52 Stratofortress: Part 1". International Air Power Review. Vol. 8. Norwalk, CT, USA: AIRtime Publishing. pp. 106–121. ISBN 978-1-880588-54-3. ISSN 1473-9917. https://search.worldcat.org/issn/1473-9917
Boyne 1982. - Boyne, Walter J (November 1982). "The B-52 Story". Air University Review. Archived from the original on 22 February 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20130222083643/http://www.airpower.maxwell.af.mil/airchronicles/aureview/1982/nov-dec/boyne.html
Condor 1994, p. 37. - Condor, Albert E (1994). Air Force Gunners (AFGA): The Men Behind the Guns, The History of Enlisted Aerial Gunnery, 1917–1991. Nashville, Tennessee: Turner Publishing. ISBN 978-1-56311-167-9.
Lake 2003b, pp. 100–101. - Lake, Jon (Summer 2003). "Boeing B-52 variants: Part 2 B-52D to 'B-52J'". International Air Power Review. Vol. 9. Norwalk, CT, USA: AIRtime Publishing. pp. 100–115. ISBN 978-1-880588-56-7. ISSN 1473-9917. https://search.worldcat.org/issn/1473-9917
Boyne 1982. - Boyne, Walter J (November 1982). "The B-52 Story". Air University Review. Archived from the original on 22 February 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20130222083643/http://www.airpower.maxwell.af.mil/airchronicles/aureview/1982/nov-dec/boyne.html
Boyne 1982. - Boyne, Walter J (November 1982). "The B-52 Story". Air University Review. Archived from the original on 22 February 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20130222083643/http://www.airpower.maxwell.af.mil/airchronicles/aureview/1982/nov-dec/boyne.html
Phillips 1998, p. 132; Knaack 1988, p. 263. - Phillips, W Hewitt (November 1998). "Chapter 13: Gust Alleviation". Journey in Aeronautical Research: A Career at NASA Langley Research Center. Monographs in Aerospace History. Washington, DC: NASA Historical Office. p. 132. https://history.nasa.gov/monograph12/ch13.htm
Baugher, Joe (1 July 2000). "Boeing B-52E Stratofortress". JoeBaugher.com. http://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_bombers/b52_11.html
Boyne 1982. - Boyne, Walter J (November 1982). "The B-52 Story". Air University Review. Archived from the original on 22 February 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20130222083643/http://www.airpower.maxwell.af.mil/airchronicles/aureview/1982/nov-dec/boyne.html
Knaack 1988, pp. 266–267. - Knaack, Marcelle Size (1988). Post-World War II Bombers, 1945–1973 (PDF). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 978-0-16-002260-9. https://media.defense.gov/2010/May/26/2001330264/-1/-1/0/AFD-100526-026.pdf
Boyne 1982. - Boyne, Walter J (November 1982). "The B-52 Story". Air University Review. Archived from the original on 22 February 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20130222083643/http://www.airpower.maxwell.af.mil/airchronicles/aureview/1982/nov-dec/boyne.html
Tagg 2004, p. 86. - Tagg, Lori S. (2004). Development of the B-52: The Wright Field Story (PDF). Dayton, Ohio: History Office Aeronautical Systems Center, Air Force Materiel Command, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, United States Air Force. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 October 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20081001200007/http://www.ascho.wpafb.af.mil/B52/B-52%20Book.pdf
Boyne 2001, p. 221. - Boyne, Walter J (2001). The Best of Wings Magazine. Aircraft in Profile. Vol. 13. New York: Brassey's. ISBN 978-1-57488-368-8.
Tagg 2004, p. 86. - Tagg, Lori S. (2004). Development of the B-52: The Wright Field Story (PDF). Dayton, Ohio: History Office Aeronautical Systems Center, Air Force Materiel Command, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, United States Air Force. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 October 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20081001200007/http://www.ascho.wpafb.af.mil/B52/B-52%20Book.pdf
Condor 1994, p. 37. - Condor, Albert E (1994). Air Force Gunners (AFGA): The Men Behind the Guns, The History of Enlisted Aerial Gunnery, 1917–1991. Nashville, Tennessee: Turner Publishing. ISBN 978-1-56311-167-9.
"Final B-52G eliminated under New START". Air Force. United States Air Force. 22 December 2013. Retrieved 3 March 2023. https://www.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/467809/final-b-52g-eliminated-under-new-start/
"Last B-52G eliminated under nuclear arms treaty". Military Times. 28 December 2013. Archived from the original on 1 January 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140101033332/http://www.militarytimes.com/article/20131228/NEWS04/312280002/Last-B-52G-eliminated-under-nuclear-arms-treaty
"A roaring farewell at Wurtsmith air base." Chicago Tribune, 4 December 1992. https://web.archive.org/web/20120725055948/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/chicagotribune/access/24332681.html?dids=24332681:24332681&FMT=CITE&FMTS=CITE:FT&type=current&date=Dec+04%2C+1992&author=Chicago+Tribune+wires.&pub=Chicago+Tribune+(pre-1997+Fulltext)&desc=A+roaring+farewell+at+Wurtsmith+air+base&pqatl=google
Condor 1994, p. 37. - Condor, Albert E (1994). Air Force Gunners (AFGA): The Men Behind the Guns, The History of Enlisted Aerial Gunnery, 1917–1991. Nashville, Tennessee: Turner Publishing. ISBN 978-1-56311-167-9.
Boyne 2001, p. 221. - Boyne, Walter J (2001). The Best of Wings Magazine. Aircraft in Profile. Vol. 13. New York: Brassey's. ISBN 978-1-57488-368-8.
Tagg 2004, p. 86. - Tagg, Lori S. (2004). Development of the B-52: The Wright Field Story (PDF). Dayton, Ohio: History Office Aeronautical Systems Center, Air Force Materiel Command, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, United States Air Force. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 October 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20081001200007/http://www.ascho.wpafb.af.mil/B52/B-52%20Book.pdf
Dorr & Peacock 2000, p. 52. - Dorr, Robert F; Peacock, Lindsay T (2000). B-52 Stratofortress: Boeing's Cold War Warrior. Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-8417-6097-1.
"B-52 Stratofortress". United States Air Force. Retrieved 2 March 2023. https://www.af.mil/About-Us/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/104465/b-52h-stratofortress/
Dorr 1990, p. 27. - Dorr, Robert F (Summer 1990). "Stratofortress... The Big One from Boeing". Air Enthusiast. 41. Bromley, Kent, UK: Pilot Press: 22–37. ISSN 0143-5450. https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0143-5450
Tirpak, John A. (5 April 2023). "It's Official: The Re-Engined B-52 Will be the B-52J". Air & Space Forces Magazine. Retrieved 10 April 2023. https://www.airandspaceforces.com/re-engined-b-52-b-52j/
Andrade 1979, p. 55. - Andrade, John (1979). U.S. Military Aircraft Designations and Serials since 1909. Hinckley, UK: Midland Counties Publications. ISBN 978-0-904597-22-6.
World Air Forces 2023 (Report). FlightGlobal, part of DVV Media International. 2022. p. 33. https://www.flightglobal.com/download?ac=90688
Heflin, Lindsey (27 July 2022). "B-52 OT, WPS, Ops squadrons collaborate during Test and Weapons School Roadshow at Minot AFB". Air Force Global Strike Command. https://www.afgsc.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/3107015/b-52-ot-wps-ops-squadrons-collaborate-during-test-and-weapons-school-roadshow-a/
Heflin, Lindsey (27 July 2022). "B-52 OT, WPS, Ops squadrons collaborate during Test and Weapons School Roadshow at Minot AFB". Air Force Global Strike Command. https://www.afgsc.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/3107015/b-52-ot-wps-ops-squadrons-collaborate-during-test-and-weapons-school-roadshow-a/
Gonsier, Benjamin (29 May 2013). "340 WPS unveils memorial". Barksdale Air Force Base. https://www.barksdale.af.mil/News/Article/320278/340-wps-unveils-memorial
"Facts Sheets: 2nd Bomb Wing". March 2021. Archived from the original on 2 November 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20221102212126/https://www.barksdale.af.mil/About-Us/Fact-Sheets/Article/320180/2nd-bomb-wing/
"2nd Operations Group". Barksdale AFB. United States Air Force. https://www.barksdale.af.mil/Units/2OG/
"2nd Operations Group". Barksdale AFB. United States Air Force. https://www.barksdale.af.mil/Units/2OG/
"2nd Operations Group". Barksdale AFB. United States Air Force. https://www.barksdale.af.mil/Units/2OG/
"Fact Sheets: 5th Bomb Wing". 30 October 2019. Archived from the original on 31 May 2021. https://www.minot.af.mil/About-Us/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/264218/5th-bomb-wing-minot-air-force-base/
Heflin, Lindsey (27 July 2022). "B-52 OT, WPS, Ops squadrons collaborate during Test and Weapons School Roadshow at Minot AFB". Air Force Global Strike Command. https://www.afgsc.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/3107015/b-52-ot-wps-ops-squadrons-collaborate-during-test-and-weapons-school-roadshow-a/
"Minot Air Force Base". United States Air Force. Retrieved 3 March 2023. https://www.minot.af.mil/About-Us/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/264277/minot-air-force-base/
Heflin, Lindsey (27 July 2022). "B-52 OT, WPS, Ops squadrons collaborate during Test and Weapons School Roadshow at Minot AFB". Air Force Global Strike Command. https://www.afgsc.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/3107015/b-52-ot-wps-ops-squadrons-collaborate-during-test-and-weapons-school-roadshow-a/
"Minot Air Force Base". United States Air Force. Retrieved 3 March 2023. https://www.minot.af.mil/About-Us/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/264277/minot-air-force-base/
"419 Flight Test Squadron". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved 3 March 2023. https://www.dafhistory.af.mil/About-Us/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/433592/419-flight-test-squadron
"About Us". 307th Bomb Wing. Retrieved 3 March 2023. https://www.307bw.afrc.af.mil/Home/About-Us/
"About Us". 307th Bomb Wing. Retrieved 3 March 2023. https://www.307bw.afrc.af.mil/Home/About-Us/
"About Us". 307th Bomb Wing. Retrieved 3 March 2023. https://www.307bw.afrc.af.mil/Home/About-Us/
"Where Are They Now: B-52B #008". NASA. 5 November 2015. Archived from the original on 7 July 2016. Retrieved 30 August 2021. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/armstrong/history/where_are_they_now/B-52B_008.html
"NASA B-52H #025 Makes its Last Flight". The North Spin. 9 May 2008. Archived from the original on 20 November 2008. Retrieved 30 August 2021. http://www.thenorthspin.com/news08/050908tns.html
"Accident Archives". Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives. Retrieved 12 March 2023. https://www.baaa-acro.com/crash-archives?created=1956-01-01&created_1=1957-01-01&field_crash_region_target_id=All&field_crash_country_target_id=&field_crash_registration_target_id=&field_crash_aircraft_target_id=Boeing+B-52+Stratofortress+(30252)&field_crash_operator_target_id=&field_crash_cause_target_id=All&field_crash_zone_target_id=&field_crash_site_type_target_id=All&field_crash_phase_type_target_id=All&field_crash_flight_type_target_id=All&field_crash_survivors_value=All&field_crash_city_target_id=
"1955 USAF Serial Numbers". JoeBaugher.com. 22 February 2023. https://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/1955.html
"Crash Site of a B-52 Bomber, East of Trans-Canada Highway near Morrill Siding". The New Brunswick Military Heritage Project. Retrieved 19 December 2010. https://nbmhp.ext.unb.ca/counties/Victoria.html
"1954 USAF Serial Numbers". JoeBaugher.com. 8 February 2023. https://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/1954.html
"1956 USAF Serial Numbers". JoeBaugher.com. 17 February 2023. https://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/1956.html
"Accident Boeing B-52D-75-BO Stratofortress 56-0610, 11 Feb 1958". aviation-safety.net. Retrieved 12 March 2023. https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/48406
"1956 USAF Serial Numbers". JoeBaugher.com. 17 February 2023. https://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/1956.html
"1956 USAF Serial Numbers". JoeBaugher.com. 17 February 2023. https://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/1956.html
"1957 USAF Serial Numbers". JoeBaugher.com. 8 February 2023. https://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/1956.html
"1955 USAF Serial Numbers". JoeBaugher.com. 22 February 2023. https://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/1955.html
"1953 USAF Serial Numbers". JoeBaugher.com. 10 February 2023. https://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/1953.html
Bennett, Lee; Wangelin, Gray (1 February 2012). "USA B52 last flight. Felon 22". Felon 22. http://www.felon22.com/
"1958 USAF Serial Numbers". JoeBaugher.com. 17 February 2022. https://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/1958.html
Schneider, Barry (May 1975). "Big Bangs from little bombs". Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. 31 (5): 28. Bibcode:1975BuAtS..31e..24S. doi:10.1080/00963402.1975.11458238. https://books.google.com/books?id=dQsAAAAAMBAJ
"1957 USAF Serial Numbers". JoeBaugher.com. 8 February 2023. https://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/1956.html
Joint Nuclear Accident Co-ordinating Center: Record of Events (PDF) (Report). United States Department of Defense. 14 April 1961. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 November 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20081117111135/http://www.dod.mil/pubs/foi/reading_room/136.pdf
Oskins & Maggelet 2008, p. 174. - Oskins, James C; Maggelet, Michael H (2008). Broken Arrow: The Declassified History of U.S. Nuclear Weapons Accidents. Raleigh, North Carolina: Lulu.com. ISBN 978-1-4357-0361-2.
"1953 USAF Serial Numbers". JoeBaugher.com. 10 February 2023. https://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/1953.html
Paredes, Martin (18 March 2021). "The Day Ciudad Juarez Was Shot Down". El Paso News. https://elpasonews.org/2021/03/18/the-day-ciudad-juarez-was-shot-down/
"B52C". www.mewreckchasers.com. Retrieved 4 December 2024. http://www.mewreckchasers.com/B52C.html
"1955 USAF Serial Numbers". JoeBaugher.com. 22 February 2023. https://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/1955.html
Sagan 1995, p. 202. - Sagan, Scott Douglas (1995). The Limits of Safety: Organizations, Accidents, and Nuclear Weapons. Princeton University Press. ISBN 0-691-02101-5. https://books.google.com/books?id=4pV_wbOnphsC&pg=PA202
"B-52 bomber crash in Western Maryland, 1964". WHILBR: Western Maryland's Historical Library. Retrieved 5 March 2023. https://digital.whilbr.org/digital/collection/p16715coll7
"1957 USAF Serial Numbers". JoeBaugher.com. 8 February 2023. https://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/1956.html
Collins, Craig K. (26 September 2016). "Epic Tale of Survival is Replete with Midair Collision, Super Typhoon and, Yes, Sharks". HuffPost. Archived from the original on 9 June 2019. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/epic-tale-of-survival-is-replete-with-midair-collision_b_57c1a726e4b0b01630df441e
Lindelof, Bill (7 October 2016). "Mather Vietnam-era pilot recounts survival of midair B-52 collision". The Sacramento Bee. https://www.sacbee.com/news/local/article106777062.html
Martinez, Raoul (26 September 2016). "Fox 5 Morning News". Fox 5 San Diego. Archived from the original on 17 November 2021. Retrieved 20 November 2020. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmc2wkCUNos
Collins 2016. - Collins, Craig K. (26 September 2016). "Epic Tale of Survival is Replete with Midair Collision, Super Typhoon and, Yes, Sharks". HuffPost. Archived from the original on 9 June 2019. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/epic-tale-of-survival-is-replete-with-midair-collision_b_57c1a726e4b0b01630df441e
"1955 USAF Serial Numbers". JoeBaugher.com. 22 February 2023. https://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/1955.html
Knaack 1988, p. 279. - Knaack, Marcelle Size (1988). Post-World War II Bombers, 1945–1973 (PDF). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 978-0-16-002260-9. https://media.defense.gov/2010/May/26/2001330264/-1/-1/0/AFD-100526-026.pdf
"Spain, U.S. Agree to Radioactivity Cleanup 40 Years After Atomic Accident". Fox News. 8 October 2006. Archived from the original on 13 November 2007. https://web.archive.org/web/20071113135749/http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,218559,00.html
"October 16, 1984, USAF, Boeing B-52G (57-6479) Monument Valley, AZ – LOSTFLIGHTS". lostflights.com. Retrieved 28 September 2023. https://www.lostflights.com/Military-Aviation-Archaeology/101684-USAF-B-52G-57-6479
"Rescuers Seek B-52 Crewman After Arizona Crash". The New York Times. Associated Press. 18 October 1984. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 28 September 2023. https://www.nytimes.com/1984/10/18/us/rescuers-seek-b-52-crewman-after-arizona-crash.html
"October 16, 1984, USAF, Boeing B-52G (57-6479) Monument Valley, AZ". lostflights.com. Retrieved 28 September 2023. https://www.lostflights.com/Military-Aviation-Archaeology/101684-USAF-B-52G-57-6479
"Rescuers Seek B-52 Crewman After Arizona Crash". The New York Times. Associated Press. 18 October 1984. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 28 September 2023. https://www.nytimes.com/1984/10/18/us/rescuers-seek-b-52-crewman-after-arizona-crash.html
"October 16, 1984, USAF, Boeing B-52G (57-6479) Monument Valley, AZ". lostflights.com. Retrieved 28 September 2023. https://www.lostflights.com/Military-Aviation-Archaeology/101684-USAF-B-52G-57-6479
"West Point Association of Graduates". alumni.westpointaog.org. https://alumni.westpointaog.org/memorial-article?id=eb3fb250-c6b6-46f5-8f06-ef4ef7030037
Schaefer, David. "Pilot in fatal B-52 crash may have violated rules: Dicks cites Signs of 'acrobatic' Flying'." The Seattle Times, 28 June 1994. https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/19940628/1917886/pilot-in-fatal-b-52-crash-may-have-violated-rules
"U.S. B-52 bomber with 6 crew members crashes off Guam." CBC News, 21 July 2008. https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/u-s-b-52-bomber-with-6-crew-members-crashes-off-guam-1.696570
Knaack 1988, pp. 292–294.
"B-52H Stratofortress". United States Air Force. June 2019. https://www.af.mil/About-Us/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/104465/b-52h-stratofortress/
Loftin, L. K. Jr. NASA SP-468, Quest for performance: The evolution of modern aircraft. Archived 13 June 2006 at the Wayback Machine NASA, 1985. Retrieved 22 April 2006. https://www.hq.nasa.gov/pao/History/SP-468/cover.htm
Dorr & Peacock 2000, p. 52. - Dorr, Robert F; Peacock, Lindsay T (2000). B-52 Stratofortress: Boeing's Cold War Warrior. Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-8417-6097-1.
"Upgraded B-52 still on cutting edge" U.S. Air Force. Retrieved 11 April 2013. https://www.barksdale.af.mil/News/story/id/123092431/
"Lockheed Martin's Sniper ATP Continues Successful B-52 Integration Test Program." Lockheed Martin. Retrieved 7 February 2010. https://www.lockheedmartin.com/us/news/press-releases/2009/december/LockheedMartinsSniperATPC.html
"Computers in Spaceflight: The NASA Experience." Archived 15 February 2017 at the Wayback Machine NASA. Retrieved 2 October 2011. https://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/History/computers/Ch4-3.html
"B-52H Stratorfortress", Air Force Technology, 6 September 2024, retrieved 13 September 2024 https://www.airforce-technology.com/projects/b52/?cf-view
"B-52H Stratorfortress", Air Force Technology, 6 September 2024, retrieved 13 September 2024 https://www.airforce-technology.com/projects/b52/?cf-view
"B-52H Stratorfortress", Air Force Technology, 6 September 2024, retrieved 13 September 2024 https://www.airforce-technology.com/projects/b52/?cf-view
"B-52H Stratorfortress", Air Force Technology, 6 September 2024, retrieved 13 September 2024 https://www.airforce-technology.com/projects/b52/?cf-view
"B-52H Stratorfortress", Air Force Technology, 6 September 2024, retrieved 13 September 2024 https://www.airforce-technology.com/projects/b52/?cf-view
"B-52H Stratorfortress", Air Force Technology, 6 September 2024, retrieved 13 September 2024 https://www.airforce-technology.com/projects/b52/?cf-view
"B-52H Stratorfortress", Air Force Technology, 6 September 2024, retrieved 13 September 2024 https://www.airforce-technology.com/projects/b52/?cf-view
"B-52H Stratorfortress", Air Force Technology, 6 September 2024, retrieved 13 September 2024 https://www.airforce-technology.com/projects/b52/?cf-view
"B-52H Stratorfortress", Air Force Technology, 6 September 2024, retrieved 13 September 2024 https://www.airforce-technology.com/projects/b52/?cf-view
Southern, Terry (2009). "Checkup with Dr. Strangelove". Archived from the original on 1 February 2010. Retrieved 11 January 2010. /wiki/Terry_Southern
Weber, Bruce (15 June 2016). "Why We Celebrated the Beehive and Its Maker". The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/15/insider/why-we-celebrated-the-beehive-and-its-maker.html
Weber, Bruce (15 June 2016). "Why We Celebrated the Beehive and Its Maker". The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/15/insider/why-we-celebrated-the-beehive-and-its-maker.html
Riggs, Ransom (20 July 2007). "A history of bad hairstyles". CNN. http://www.cnn.com/2007/LIVING/homestyle/07/20/bad.hair/index.html