B-52

A B-52 Stratofortress rests on the tarmac at Homestead Air Reserve Base, Fla., April 25. The heavy bomber, assigned to Air Force Reserve Command’s 93rd Bomb Squadron, Barksdale Air Force Base, La., stopped at Homestead for 3 days while performing aerial intercept training with local South Florida units. The bomber’s capacity to linger for long times over battlefields before delivering precision direct fire munitions has been a valuable asset in conflicts such as Operation Enduring Freedom, where the enemy has limited air-defense capabilities. Homestead was home to the heavy bombers during the 1960s when the base operated the 19th Bomb Wing, a component of Strategic Air Command. This was the first time Homestead ARB hosted a B-52 in at least the past five years according to airfield management officials here. The Air Force intends to keep the B-52 in service until at least 2040, an unprecedented length of service for a military aircraft. (U.S. Air Force photo/Ryan Ayers)