2017 04 April

The B-52 likely will fly into the 2040s — but should it?

When an engine from an Air Force B-52 Stratofortress plunged into a North Dakota riverbed during a train- ing flight earlier this year, it raised questions about the service’s plan to fly the aircraft into the mid-2040s. The incident, which remains under

investigation, is believed to have been caused by a catastrophic engine failure. Former Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James said in January that the engine “seemingly disinte- grated,” at which point it “came out of the aircraft.” The five-person crew was able to land safely. The service plans to field its first

new long-range strike bomber, the B-21 Raider, over the next few years. Air Force leaders hope the new air- craft, which largely is shrouded in secrecy, will reach initial capability in the mid-2020s. Lt. Gen. David Deptula, USAF

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dƟƀǕťĳȄİǞǮ — Lt. Gen. David Deptula, USAF (Ret)

66 MILITARY OFFICER APRIL 2017

(Ret), has flown every currently op- erational bomber in the Air Force’s inventory, including the B-1, B-2, and B-52. Deptula, now the dean of the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies in Arlington, Va., spent more than 3,000 hours in the cock- pit and led troops on combat and humanitarian missions before retir- ing in 2010. Military Officer caught up with

Deptula to discuss the decision to keep the B-52 in the air through 2044 and what the B-21 will be capable of in years to come. Excerpts of the interview, edited for clarity and space, follow.

Q

What has made the B-52 Stra- tofortress so useful over the past several decades? Deptula: Its strong point is its ver- satility, flexibility, and adaptability.

One or two B-52s can essentially carry in one day what takes fighters off a carrier 40 days to accomplish. An F/A-18E-F can carry four weap- ons, maybe two, depending on the amount of fuel they have to carry to go 1,000 miles one way. The B-52 can carry 70,000 pounds of ordnance and has the persistence that allows it to stay in the area and operate for long periods of time against lots of targets.

Q

How do you see it being used going forward? A: I think you’re going to see the B-52 used for a variety of missions in appropriate threat environments where precision, persistence, and large numbers of weapons are required. It can only be used in permissive

air environments because its slow speed and size make it vulnerable to any kind of advanced air defense threat. But over the last 25 years, we’ve been operating in areas like Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria — places where there are not significant air defense threats.

Q

What has given the B-52 its staying power? A: The addition of precision-guided weapons was huge. It can recognize and identify targets in environ- ments as complex as urban areas. It’s also very effective as a close-air support aircraft, which we started doing in Vietnam. With a variety of improvements, we’ve been able to make the B-52 relevant in the 21st century.

PHOTO: USAF

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