![]() B-52 aircrews dropped more than 15,000 tons of bombs on military targets during the operation and “helped force the North Vietnamese back to the peace table,” according to the National Museum of the U.S. B-52s played a significant role in the Vietnam War and more specifically in Operation Linebacker II. The first B-52s arrived just after the Korean War and have been used in every U.S. ![]() A 1959 photo of a B-52 launching an X-15 rocket plane. The bomber can fly up to 50,000 feet and can carry nuclear or precision-guided munitions. The oldest one actively flying entered the service’s inventory in January 1960, according to Maj. The Air Force only currently flies the B-52H models. Though the first B-52s were delivered to the Air Force in the early 1950s, all of the oldest B-52 models have retired. The B-52 Stratofortress is a long-range, heavy bomber that can be used for both strategic attacks, including carrying nuclear bombs and close-air support for troops in direct combat on the ground. Each KC-135 costs roughly $39.6 million, versus over $240 million for each KC-46. The Stratotanker can be used for aeromedical evacuations, and carry up to 83,000 pounds of cargo and up to 37 passengers. But the Air Force’s fleet of nearly 400 KC-135s remains flying and refueling around the world. The Air Force has been working to phase out KC-135s for a generation, first with KC-10s - which themselves will now all be retired by the end of 2024 - and the KC-46 Pegasus. Get the latest military news and culture in your inbox daily. The Air Force’s oldest KC-135Rs that are still active were delivered and accepted into service inventory in the summer of 1958. The KC-135 can refuel two receiver aircraft at once. Almost all of its internal fuel can be pumped through the aircraft’s flying boom, with a boom operator stationed in the plane’s rear of the plane during in-flight air refueling. The KC-135 Stratotanker is primarily used for aerial refueling support to Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, and allied aircraft. Air Force on Apto become a part of the museum’s permanent collection at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio. A KC-135R Stratotanker at the National Museum of the U.S.
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