Through radical technological overhauls, the iconic Vietnam-era bomber is transforming into a modern powerhouse, wielding hypersonic missiles and digital networking to dominate the skies for a century.
By Kris Osborn, Warrior Maven
The idea of a massive, Vietnam-era bomber surging 100 years into the future with sustained relevance and effectiveness might bewilder the masses in the world of combat aviation, yet the possibility is actually realistic. Yes indeed the classic B-52 bomber has been upgraded so many times throughout its service life that today’s B-52J bomber is an entirely different aircraft. New technologies continue to add capability and introduce new concepts of operation. Should the Air Force’s modern B-52 fly into the late 1950s and 1960s, then it will indeed become a 100 year aircraft, something which would doubtless secure a permanent resting place in the annals of aviation history for an eternity.
The airplane that carpet-bombed the North Vietnamese in the late 1960s will soon be firing lasers, launching drones, armed with hypersonic missiles and operating as a flying aerial “node” or command and control hub. The reality of this “evolution” of the B-52 rests upon a clear, yet somewhat paradoxical premise, which is that airframes themselves can remain viable and highly functional for decades beyond their intended service life with maintenance and structural reinforcement.
F130 Engines
The most modern “J” variant of the upgraded B-52 is now famous for its new Rolls Royce F130 engine, a “re-engining” effort which has evolved over the course of many years. The new engine increases power, fuel efficiency and performance to new levels for the purpose of ensuring the bomber can operate with maximum dwell time over targets and propel itself into future decades.
Beyond the engine itself, the B-52 bomber has also received an entirely new generation of digital networking technology, computing, avionics and radar systems in recent years. One defining step forward for the B-52 was the introduction of a digital data networking system called Combat Network Communication Technology; this system was paradigm changing for B-52 crews as it enabled them to receive intelligence updates while “in-flight,” so the aircraft could adjust to new target details or make modifications as needed based on real-time communications. Prior to the adoption of this system, B-52 crews would take-off with a pre-determined, set target list. Now new intelligence information can reach B-52 crews as needed while the bomber is in the air.
Weapons Bay
The B-52 arsenal has also evolved considerably over the years, as the bomber will soon fly with hypersonic weapons, lasers and the dual-use, nuclear-capable Long Range Stand Off weapon cruise missile. The aircraft will also incorporate the most modern variant of the enduring B-61, called the Mod 13. The Mod 13 is a bomb which incorporates the capabilities of separate variants into a single bomb, meaning it can be tailored for an earth penetrating blast effect, area detonation or simple point-detonate setting. This increases efficiency and enables pilots to operate with a full scope of combat attack options while flying with fewer actual individual “bombs.” Bomb carriage capacity itself has also been massively revamped for the B-52, as the aircraft now flies with a new internal weapons bay which greatly increases the bomber payload or weapons carrying capacity. With the new 1760 internal weapons bay upgrade, the B-52 can carry up to eight of the newest “J-series” bombs and more ordnance overall.
Concepts of Operation
All these modifications and enhancements to the aircraft introduce new tactics and concepts of operation for the bomber, as it has evolved light years beyond its initial function as a carpet-bombing weapon able to blanket enemy areas with unguided bombs to enable maneuver, degrade enemy capacity and “rattle” enemy territory. Now, the bomber not only operates with precision weaponry and long-range guided cruise missiles but is also incorporating hypersonic weapons, lasers and an ability to launch drones.
Kris Osborn is the Military Technology Editor of 1945. Osborn is also President of Warrior Maven – Center for Military Modernization. Osborn previously served at the Pentagon as a highly qualified expert in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army—Acquisition, Logistics & Technology. Osborn has also worked as an anchor and on-air military specialist at national TV networks. He has appeared as a guest military expert on Fox News, MSNBC, The Military Channel, and The History Channel. He also has a Masters Degree in Comparative Literature from Columbia University