B-52 Stratofortress Strategic Bomber

ROYAL AIR FORCE FAIRFORD, England -- Three B-52 Stratofortresses from Barksdale Air Force Base, La., taxi to the runway here. The B-52s are forward deployed to RAF Fairford to support NATO Operation Allied Force. The B-52s have been launching missiles in support of allied NATO air strikes. Air Combat Command's B-52 is a long-range, heavy bomber that can perform a variety of missions. (U.S. Air Force photo)

DIEGO GARCIA, British Indian Island Territory -- A B-52H Stratofortress from the 96th Bomb Squadron, Barksdale Air Force Base, La., deployed to the 2nd Air Expeditionary Group, Naval Station Diego Garcia, drops away after air refueling. The 96th Bomb Squadron and support personnel from the 2d Bomb Wing, Barksdale AFB, are deployed in support of Desert Thunder. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Sarah E. Shaw)

OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM -- A B-52 Stratofortress receives fuel from a KC-135 Stratotanker over the Indian Ocean. The KC-135 crew is from the 931st Air Refueling Group at McConnell Air Force Base, Kan., and is deployed to the 405th Air Expeditionary Wing to support Operation Iraqi Freedom. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Cherie A. Thurlby)

OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM -- Capt. Jason McNutt maneuvers his B-52 Stratofortress into position beneath a KC-135 Stratotanker for aerial refueling. The B-52 bomber crew from the 40th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron dropped 45 500-pound bombs on targets in Iraq on April 4. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Richard Freeland)

ANDERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Guam -- A B-52 Stratofortress deployed from Barksdale Air Force Base, La. lands here April 2, 2003. Aircraft and personnel are deplyed here in support of the 7th Air Expeditionary Wing's mission. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Christina M. Rumsey)

MINOT AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. -- B-52 Stratofortress bombers surge from the flightline here in response to an exercise Oct. 31, despite a winter storm that passed through the area. The storm reduced temperatures to 26 degrees, and dropped six inches of snow. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Brandy Turner)

OVER NEVADA -- A B-52H Stratofortress drops a load of M-117 750-pound bombs during a training run here. During Desert Storm, B-52s delivered 40 percent of all the weapons dropped by coalition forces. The first Gulf War saw the longest strike mission in the history of aerial warfare when B-52s took off from Barksdale Air Force Base, La., launched conventional air-launched cruise missiles and returned to Barksdale -- a 35-hour, non-stop combat mission. (U.S. Air Force photo)

1950's -- B-52

ANDERSEN AIR FORCE BASE, Guam -- Capt. Jeremiah Baldwin (left), a pilot, and 1st Lt Bentley Brooks, a co-pilot, conduct a preflight check in their B-52 Stratofortress here. Six B-52s and about 300 support people from Minot Air Force Base, N.D., are the first to deploy here following the decision to station a rotating bomber force here. Both Airmen are from the 23rd Bomb Squadron at Minot AFB. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Val Gempis)

OVER THE PACIFIC OCEAN -- NASA's B-52B launch aircraft cruises to a test range here carrying an X-43A hypersonic research aircraft attached to a Pegasus rocket Nov. 16. It was taken to launch altitude by the aircraft from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. About an hour later the Pegasus booster was released from the B-52 to accelerate the X-43A to its intended speed of Mach 10. (National Aeronautics and Space Administration photo by Carla Thomas)

BARKSDALE AIR FORCE BASE, La. (AFPN) -- Munitions on display show the full capabilities of the B-52 Stratofortress. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Robert J. Horstman)

A B-52 Stratofortress takes off Wednesday, April 13, 2006, from a forward operating location in Southwest Asia. The B-52s are seeing increased operations tempo while providing close-air support for Operation Mountain Lion. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Master Sgt. John Rohrer)

A B-52 Stratofortress is on its way to a combat mission over Afghanistan. The B-52s provide close-air support for U.S. and coalition forces in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Master Sgt. John Rohrer)

A B-52 Stratofortress deployed to Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, stands ready Feb. 12 for its next mission. Bombers deployed from the 2nd Bomb Wing at Barksdale AFB, La., provide a continuous bomber presence in the Asia-Pacific region. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Master Sgt. Don Perrien)

A row of B-52 Stratofortresses from Barksdale Air Force Base, La., and Minot AFB, N.D., await their next mission on the flightline Feb. 1 at Andersen AFB, Guam. The different colored tail markings represent the individual squadrons each bomber is assigned to at their home station. Approximately 300 Airmen from Barksdale AFB arrived on Guam recently as part of a scheduled rotation of bomber units into the Pacific theater. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Master Sgt. Don Perrien)

A B-52 Stratofortress leads a formation of Air Force and Navy F-16 Fighting Falcons, F-15 Eagles, and F-18 Hornetst over the USS Kitty Hawk, USS Nimitz and USS John C. Stennis Strike Groups during Exercise Valiant Shield exercise Aug.14 in the Pacific. The forces participated in Valiant Shield, the largest joint exercise in the Pacific this year. Held in the Guam operating area, the exercise includes 30 ships, more than 280 aircraft and more than 20,000 servicemembers from the Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard. (U.S. Navy photo/Petty Officer 2nd Class Jarod Hodge)

Air Force fighters, bombers, tankers and air control aircraft occupy the flightline at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam. The aircraft, deployed from several Air Force bases, are here to promote regional security and stability in the region. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1St Class Cory Todd)

A B-52 Stratofortress flies a routine mission Nov. 12 over the Pacific Ocean. The B-52 is deployed from Minot Air Force Base, N.D., to Andersen AFB, Guam, and is part of a continuing operation of maintaining a bomber presence in the region. (U.S. Air Force photo/Master Sgt. Kevin J. Gruenwald)

A B-52 Stratofortress flies April 20, 2011, during an eight-hour sortie to practice bomb-dropping sequences and aerial refueling. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Andy M. Kin)

A B-52 Stratofortress lands at Minot Air Force Base, N.D., June 30, 2011, after a sortie. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Michael J. Veloz)