The paradox of the US Air Force with B-52 bombers

During the 10 years that Jeromy Smith worked as a flight test engineer at Edwards Air Force Base in Southern California, he repeatedly complained to his wife about the risks in his job.

“He loved his job very much. From an early age, he knew he wanted to go into aviation,” Lauren Smith, 30, recalled about her 32-year-old husband in an interview on June 16. Even though he is doing his dream job, Jeromy also clearly understands the dangers that always lurk when regularly testing on military aircraft, including the aging B-52 series.

“He talks about it all the time,” Lauren said.

On June 15, Jeromy’s biggest fear came true, when the B-52 bomber he participated in testing crashed into the ground immediately after taking off from Edwards base. The plane caught fire violently, killing all 8 crew members. The fire was so large that it could be seen from several miles away across the Mojave Desert.

US Air Force officials said no one could survive such a tragic accident and it would likely take them up to 6 months to determine what happened to the B-52.

The test flight earlier this week is part of the US Air Force’s plan to upgrade the radar system and other avionics equipment of the B-52 aircraft, which have long become obsolete before air defense systems.

Lauren said the flight was originally scheduled for June 12, right after her husband, a civilian employee of the Pentagon, had just finished his paternity leave and returned to work. Their youngest son is currently only 4 months old.

She said her husband told her the flight was constantly delayed for repairs, but he did not go into details. “They kept rescheduling it over and over again,” she said. “And whatever the problem was, it should have been fixed by now.”

A US Air Force spokesman said “security procedures” prevented him from commenting on whether the flight was delayed for repairs, but he confirmed that test flights “are still regularly scheduled and changed” for many reasons, such as maintenance or weather.

Outdated aircraft

The B-52 bomber was designed by Boeing in the 1940s and has been in continuous use since 1955. The latest version of the US Air Force’s B-52 was also built in 1962.

During the Cold War, the B-52 played a key role in the Pentagon’s nuclear triad, which included bombers, intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), and submarine-launched ballistic missiles carrying nuclear weapons.

However, over time, the US military has struggled to maintain their operational capabilities.

In April, General Stephen L. Davis, Commander of the US Air Force’s Global Strike Command, said they were having difficulty finding replacement parts, forcing technicians to remove spare parts from other aircraft.

As of 2025, the US Air Force still operates 58 B-52s in a fleet of 76 aircraft.

Inside the B-52s is an outdated system that uses entirely analog technology. The cockpit is densely packed with rows of analog clocks and lever switches. The control system connects to the aircraft’s flaps through meters of cables and pulleys. There is also a small window in the ceiling of the plane so the crew can navigate using a sextant based on the stars in the sky.

Since 11 years ago, the traces of time have been clearly visible on the US Air Force’s B-52 bomber models. A reporter who boarded the plane to visit on its 60th anniversary said that the plane had water in the cockpit. One engine could not even start.

While flying over the Great Plains, the electrical system on the B-52 suddenly turned off for a few minutes. “This is truly a complete experience,” the co-pilot told reporters with a smile while trying to restart the plane.

Difficult to replace

Despite such incidents, the B-52 is still considered safer and more reliable than newer bombers. Thanks to its simple design and possession of up to 8 engines, this aircraft model can often continue to fly even if one engine has problems.

According to US Air Force safety statistics, over the past 10 years, the B-52’s serious accident rate is only a small fraction of that of other bombers and fighters. The simple design also helps the B-52 constantly be in a state of combat readiness, while more modern, sophisticated bombers often have to stay in a maintenance workshop.

The US Air Force since the 1960s has begun discussing replacing the B-52. However, plans to retire this long-range bomber have been repeatedly postponed, because replacement options have been disappointing.

The B-21 Raider stealth bomber, the latest replacement for the B-52, is expected to enter service next year. However, capital shortages caused the Pentagon’s initial order of 132 B-21s to be cut to just 21 aircraft. To date, only two B-21s have been delivered for test flying.

The B-21 costs $700 million each, but is expected to only be used in limited special missions. Meanwhile, the B-52 has been improved to perform many types of missions for the US Air Force.

In March, a month after the US and Israel launched the campaign to attack Iran, Pentagon leaders were so confident in their ability to control the sky that the US Air Force began deploying B-52s in the skies over Iran.

Despite the latest accident with an experimental B-52, the US Air Force said it will still have to maintain this fleet until the 2050s. To do that, these more than 60-year-old bombers will have to undergo many upgrades, including being equipped with new engines and radar systems.