B-52 Stratofortress

The B-52 Stratofortress is an American long-range, subsonic, jet-powered strategic bomber built by Boeing, first flown in 1952 and entering United States Air Force service in 1955, designed originally to carry nuclear weapons deep into Soviet territory during the Cold War. Powered by eight turbojet or, in later variants, turbofan engines mounted in four underwing pods, the B-52 can carry a very large payload of conventional or nuclear weapons over intercontinental distances, and it has been repeatedly upgraded with modern avionics, engines and precision-guided munitions capability to keep it in frontline service far beyond its original expected lifespan. The B-52 flew extensively in the Vietnam War, the Gulf War and later conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq, and the United States Air Force plans to keep the aircraft flying past the 2050s, meaning some B-52s could remain in active service roughly a century after the type's first flight, an unmatched span for any military aircraft.