4 ms·
The B-52 was intended to carry out the airborne nuclear deterrent role, and therefore accrue a colossal number of flying hours. But of course after about 1992 t
by radiowave 11y ago
The B-52 was intended to carry out the airborne nuclear deterrent role, and therefore accrue a colossal number of flying hours. But of course after about 1992 they stopped flying quite so much.
- ekianjo 11y agoIf I remember correctly, nuclear deterrence with planes flying 24/7 in the skies was still a thing until the early 2000s. It took a long time for the Air Force to scale down that role.
- CompelTechnic 11y agoThankfully, our fleet of submarines makes sure that the threat of nuclear apocalypse remains imminent.
- ekianjo 11y agoAnd ICBMs, too. I prefer the idea of submarines, though. There were several cases of very serious incidents involving planes losing control and crashing while carrying nukes, at least with submarines the collateral risk on population is much less.
- sirkneeland 11y agoI think that was SAC (Strategic Air Command) which was shut down in 1992 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strategic_Air_Command https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strategic_Air_Command "Following Operation Desert Storm, the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the de facto end of the Cold War, President George H. W. Bush and Secretary of Defense Dick Cheney directed SAC to take all bomber and refueling aircraft and Minuteman II ICBM's off of continuous nuclear alert on 27 September 1991[85] and placing said aircraft on quick reaction ground alert" So, still ready for Armageddon, but with a bit higher latency.