From The Archives: The Neverending Story Of The B-52

The cover of Aviation Week & Space Technology’s Dec. 11, 1995, issue featured the U.S. Air Force’s venerable B-52 bomber, accompanying a cover story by Bill Scott on the upgrades that would ensure it would remain an effective dual-role, long-range bomber “for another decade or more.”

More than half of the 94-aircraft fleet was undergoing a conventional enhancement modification that added provisions for carrying AGM-84 Harpoon missiles, an integrated stores management system, a universal bomb bay adapter and GPS navigation.

Now, 30 years later, the Air Force has its sights on keeping the 70-year-old bomber relevant into the 2050s. The service is replacing the bomber’s aging APQ-166 mechanically scanned array radar with the RTX APQ-188, replacing the eight Pratt & Whitney TF33 turbofan engines on each aircraft with Rolls-Royce F130s and undertaking various networking and munition upgrades.

See the cover and read the full issue dated Dec. 11, 1995 | Aviation Week

Read the article on page 46: B-52H Refurbished For 21st Century

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