Boeing B-52 "Stratofortress" (English Boeing B-52 Stratofortress - stratospheric fortress) is an American multifunctional heavy long-range strategic bomber-missile carrier of the Boeing company, which has been in service with the US Air Force since 1955. This aircraft replaced the B-36 and B-47. At subsonic speeds at altitudes of up to 15 kilometers, it is capable of carrying various types of weapons, including nuclear ones. The main task for which the B-52 was developed was to deliver two high-power thermonuclear bombs to any point in the USSR. The B-52 is the absolute range record holder among combat aircraft. It is also one of two aircraft (along with the Tu-95) that have been in continuous service for over half a century. Although the B-52 was developed in the 1950s to meet the requirements of the Cold War, it is still the main long-range aircraft of the US Air Force and is set to remain so. The B-52 bombers will remain in service until 2040, when they will be replaced by the next-generation B-21 bombers. Currently, there are 85 units in service with the US Air Force, 9 are in reserve.
