THE GENERAL’S PREDICTION FOR AGING FLEET by Wilton Strickland Sometime in 1964, I was in a briefing with Gen. Thomas Power, Strategic Air Command (SAC) Commander. The General was talking to the assembled bomber and KC-135 tanker crewmen in the Robins Air Force Base, GA, alert facility a few minutes before initiating an Operational Readiness Inspection (ORI). He was worried about the country’s ability to maintain readiness over the long term to counter, or more importantly, to deter, an attack by The Soviet Union. His concern was that the B-52 fleet was getting old (B through F models were built in the early to mid 50’s, G’s in ’57 - ’58, H’s in ’61 - ’ 62), and nothing was being planned to replace it. The General predicted, “If we do not hurry and get a long-range, heavy bomber designed and built to replace the B-52, we may have to use the G’s and H’s on into the ‘80’s.”
During the more than 44 years since the general’s statement, three different bombers have been designed, built and put into service, but, because of its ability to haul a very heavy load of ordnance a very long way and take the crew home to do it again and again, economically, none has replaced the B-52. The FB-111 was built and put into service in the late ‘60’s; removed from service in the mid-90’s. The B-1 was designed in the ‘70’s, canceled by Pres. Carter, and resurrected by Pres. Reagan. One hundred were built and finally put into service in the mid-80’s. Some of those have already been removed from service. The B-2 was designed in the ‘80’s; 20 were built and put into service in the ‘90’s at very high cost - over $1 billion each. Meanwhile, A, B and C model B-52’s were removed from service in the early to mid 60’s; E’s and F’s left service in the late ‘60’s. D’s underwent major modifications to drastically increase bomb-carrying capacity, served exceedingly well as conventional bombers in Vietnam and finally removed from service in the mid-’70’s. G’s, which also served with distinction as conventional bombers in Vietnam in 1972 and in the Gulf War in 1991 were finally removed from service in the mid-to-late-‘90’s. Ninety-four H’s, however, have had major modifications and upgrades to bombing and navigation and other electronic systems and have seen extensive service in Iraq and Afghanistan. Eighteen H’s were recently transferred to the “boneyard” in Arizona, where they’ll be kept in desert “storage” ready to return to service if needed. Plans are to use the H’s for another 40 years. Obviously, the general should not have feared for the reliability and longevity of the B-52. Wilton _______________________________________ http://www.okiebenz.com For new and used parts go to www.okiebenz.com To search list archives http://www.okiebenz.com/archive/ To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: http://okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com
