The US Air Force just used its oldest bomber to attack Iran

First flown in 1952, the Boeing B-52 has seen service in Vietnam, Desert Storm, the Global War on Terror — and now Iran.

U.S. forces have hit 2,000 targets in Iran since the opening salvos of Operation Epic Fury on Feb. 28, adding the B-1 Lancer and B-52 Stratofortress bombers to the air attacks, U.S. Central Command reported Tuesday morning.

The long-range, heavy bomber has the potential to become the first military aircraft to remain in service for a century.

As of Sunday night, U.S. Air Force B-1B Lancer bombers conducted long-range strikes deep inside Iran. Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters Monday at the Pentagon that the strikes targeting ballistic missile facilities and command-and-control infrastructure resulted in “the establishment of local air superiority.”

“This air superiority will not only enhance the protection of our forces but also allow them to continue the work over Iran,” Caine said.

On Tuesday, U.S. Central Command confirmed on X that an armada of B-52s, nicknamed “Stratosaurus” for its advanced years, was used in a strike against “ballistic missile and commander control posts.”

The B-52H is capable of flying at high subsonic speeds at altitudes of up to 50,000 feet. It can carry nuclear or precision-guided conventional ordnance, and it has a payload of approximately 70,000 pounds of mixed ordnance-bombs, mines and missiles, according to the Air Force.

First flown on April 15, 1952, the prototype YB-52 Stratofortress was America’s first all jet-engine intercontinental strategic bomber, according to historian Carl O. Schuster .

By building a remarkably light yet simple and durable airframe with an enormous volume of internal space, Boeing’s design has allowed for continual upgrades well into the 21st century.

The B-52D was the most numerous version in service when Stratofortress planes were ordered to support the Vietnam War in 1965, becoming the backbone of America’s strategic bomber force.

The B-52’s most prominent missions over Vietnam were part of Operation Linebacker II, when the bombers were unleashed for 11 days in December 1972 to crush Hanoi and the seaport of Haiphong, according to historian Stephen Wilkinson . The devastation they wrought convinced the North Vietnamese to return to the negotiating table.

The plane has been in continuous use since then.

During a Pentagon press briefing Wednesday on Operation Epic Fury, Caine, alongside Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, noted that, to date, the U.S. has hit over 2,000 total targets across Iran and destroyed more than 20 of the Islamic Republic’s naval vessels .

Claire Barrett is an editor and military history correspondent for Military Times. She is also a World War II researcher with an unparalleled affinity for Sir Winston Churchill and Michigan football.

波音 B-52 于 1952 年首次试飞，曾在越南战争、沙漠风暴行动、全球反恐战争中服役，现在又在伊朗服役。

美国中央司令部周二上午报告称，自2月28日“史诗狂怒行动”开始以来，美军已对伊朗境内2000个目标发动空袭，并增加了B-1“枪骑兵”和B-52“同温层堡垒”轰炸机参与空袭。

这种远程重型轰炸机有可能成为第一款服役长达一个世纪的军用飞机。

截至周日晚间，美国空军B-1B“枪骑兵”轰炸机对伊朗境内纵深目标进行了远程打击。参谋长联席会议主席丹·凯恩将军周一在五角大楼告诉记者，此次打击的目标是弹道导弹设施和指挥控制基础设施，其结果是“建立了局部空中优势”。

凯恩说：“这种空中优势不仅能加强对我们部队的保护，还能让他们继续在伊朗上空开展行动。”

周二，美国中央司令部在 X 频道证实，一支绰号为“平流层龙”（因其机龄较长）的 B-52 轰炸机编队被用于打击“弹道导弹和指挥控制站”。

B-52H轰炸机能够在高达50000英尺的高度以高亚音速飞行。它可以携带核弹或精确制导的常规弹药，据美国空军称，其有效载荷约为70000磅混合弹药——炸弹、水雷和导弹。

据历史学家卡尔·O·舒斯特称，YB-52“同温层堡垒”原型机于1952年4月15日首飞，是美国第一架全喷气式发动机洲际战略轰炸机。

波音公司通过打造极其轻巧、结构简单且经久耐用的机身，以及巨大的内部空间，实现了持续升级，直至 21 世纪。

1965 年，美国订购了“同温层堡垒”轰炸机支援越南战争，当时 B-52D 是服役数量最多的型号，成为美国战略轰炸机部队的中坚力量。

据历史学家斯蒂芬·威尔金森称，B-52轰炸机在越南最著名的任务是“后卫行动II”，当时这些轰炸机于1972年12月连续11天轰炸河内和海防港。它们造成的破坏迫使北越重返谈判桌。

此后，这架飞机一直处于持续使用状态。

周三，在五角大楼举行的关于“史诗狂怒行动”的新闻发布会上，凯恩与国防部长皮特·赫格塞斯一起指出，迄今为止，美国已在伊朗境内打击了 2000 多个目标，摧毁了 20 多艘伊朗伊斯兰共和国的海军舰艇。

克莱尔·巴雷特是《军事时报》的编辑和军事历史记者。她也是一位二战研究员，对温斯顿·丘吉尔爵士和密歇根大学橄榄球队有着无与伦比的热爱。