Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Politics : War -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: TimF who wrote (21325)	3/7/2012 6:23:20 PM
From: Farmboy	1 Recommendation Read Replies (3) \| Respond to of 23908

Yep! I grew up just a few miles from what was then a S.A.C. (Strategic Air Command) base, where they based several B-52s and 135 tankers. It was practically a daily sight to see these big, ungainly-yet-graceful flying bomb platforms flying around the area. What an airplane - definitely ahead of its time! Thanks.

To: TimF who wrote (21325)	10/18/2013 8:33:29 PM
From: TimF	Respond to of 23908

Of course at some point the B-52 will be retired. The B1s and B2s should outlast it but probably won't last as long. I could see an issue with a serious lack of heavy bombers in the future. For those who wonder if that would be all that bad of deal, this comment spells it out nicely ---------------- Blacktail 10/14/2013 3:21:37 AM So, with a rapidly-shrinking Air Force with ever-fewer fighters that have ever-smaller ranges, payloads, and endurance, we need to be rid of Bombers, because; - B-52s dropped 29% of all air-served ordnance and 38% of all USAF ordnance in Operation Desert Storm, which totaled 40% of all Coalition air-served ordnance. - There were 44600 M117 740lb bombs left in the US inventory just before Desert Storm, and the only aircraft still equipped to carry them was the B-52; after Desert Storm, all of these bombs had been expended. - Only 6 B-1B Lancers delivered 20% of all ordnance in Operation Desert Fox, despite flying only 2% of all sorties. - Just 8 B-1B Lancers delivered 40% of all ISAF air-served ordnance in the 2001-2002 Invasion of Afghanistan, including 67% of all JDAM guided bombs. - The B-1B Lancers participating in the 2003 Invasion of Iraq delivered 43% of all air-served ordnance, despite flying less than 1% of all sorties. - On March 21st 2003, a handful of B-52s launched over 100 cruise missiles into Iraq. - B-1B Lancers flew 25% of all sorties over Afghanistan during late 2012, delivering air support 2-3 times a day on average. What happened to this trend all of a sudden?; strategypage.com And in case anyone thinks I just pulled those figures out of a hat... dyess.af.mil en.wikipedia.org pbs.org en.wikipedia.org en.wikipedia.org af.mil comment to strategypage.com ----- and in addition to bomb load you have a lot better range and potential time on station than with fighter bombers.