Capt. Sabin “Jett” Park pilots the B-52 at night, using red cockpit lighting to protect his vision in the dark. The main display is one of the few modern additions to the cockpit.
CNN was on board a B-52 bomber on the edge of the East China Sea when the oil pressure gauge for one of its engines began flickering. The crew had already faced communications issues and had to make precise fuel calculations during their 13,000-mile journey from Louisiana to Japan and back again. With 14 hours of flying and nearly 7,000 miles separating the strategic bomber from its home base, the pilots decided to shut the engine down. The B-52 had landed in Japan, and CNN's flight, MYLAR11, would be flying back alone and down an engine. The B-52H Stratofortress, America's primary strategic bomber, has outlasted the Cold War by more than 30 years. CNN gained exclusive access to an epic flight on one of the eight-engined jets, manufactured in 1961. Although decades older than their crew members, B-52s remain the cornerstone of the US bomber fleet, sending a high-profile message to US allies and adversaries.
The Eighth Air Force's commander, Maj. Gen. Jason Armagost, explains that Russia and China's national leadership often publicly comments about bomber task force missions, especially when they involve others in joint and public ways. The B-52 aircraft, which took off on April 1, covered over 13,000 miles and clocked at 28,000 feet, mostly over the icy waters of the north Pacific Ocean. The flight took 33 hours and was expected to burn 105,000 gallons of jet fuel. The B-52 is one of the most visible and flexible legs of the nuclear triad, which includes strategic bombers, ballistic missile silos, and ballistic missile submarines. The B-52 is the most mobile element of the triad, and it is expected to burn 105,000 gallons of jet fuel during the flight. The flight serves as an easy way for the Air Force and the US to assure their allies.
“We have a B-52 where you need it, when you need it, within 48 hours.
The last B-52 rolled off the production line in 1962. The strategic bombers are decades older than their crews, and some jets show their age.
epic journey
A standard crew for missions of this length is three pilots, three weapon systems officers, and one electronic warfare officer. Most of the crew on MYLAR11 had never been on a mission this long.
A few hours into the flight, one thing becomes painfully obvious: the B-52 was never built for comfort. Though the jet has a 185-foot wingspan and a length of nearly 160 feet, the entire crew is crammed into the front portion of the jet, split between the confined upper deck and the windowless lower deck.
The pilots rotate spots, with one frequently resting in the only bunk on board. For the rest of the crew, finding a position to rest often requires curling up on the floor or leaning against a panel.
Capt. Leo “Swabbie” Weber, a weapon systems officer, described his first 30+ hour flight as a “roller coaster ride.”
“You’re excited when you take off, you go through your sleepy lulls and then you realize you’re not even a quarter of the way yet,” he said. “Trying to stay focused has been tough but a challenge that I accept and enjoy.”
In the long stretches of flight between four aerial refuelings, the crew passes the time with casual conversation, rest and snacks. On MYLAR11, Lt. Rebecca “Vulcan” Moore, the electronic warfare officer, brought chicken nuggets for the crew, which she was ready to heat up in the tiny oven perched behind the rows of circuit breakers. Mini-pizza bagels and chocolate chip cookies are also crew favorites.
Moore’s official role is to track threats outside the jet, but she takes it upon herself to know how everyone is doing inside it. “I am trying to make sure I’m paying attention to who’s tired? Is somebody hungry? Is there something I can help somebody with?” said Moore.
“As you’ve seen, this is an old jet, and it takes a full crew to work all of the many problems that come with it.”
Future of the B-52
The Air Force plans to upgrade the B-52H jets to newer B-52J models, providing more efficient engines, avionics, and radars. This modernization program will keep the jets operational for nearly a century since their inception in the mid-1950s. Lt. Col. Jared Patterson, commander of the 20th Bomb Squadron, believes the jets will continue to evolve and be as capable as ever. The Air Force has started low-rate production of the Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider, while China is preparing to unveil its secretive H-20 strategic bomber.
The B-52s proponents insist it still has a role in the future. “This has been probably the most adaptable airframe potentially in the history of aerospace,” said Col. Michael Maginness, commander of the 2nd Bomb Wing. “It started its life out as a high-level nuclear bomber. We turned it into a low-level penetrating bomber. We turned it into a standoff cruise missile platform. And along the way, it picked up just about every other air-to-ground mission set in the US Department of Defense.”
Left: Col. Michael Maginness, commander of the 2nd Bomb Wing, shows CNN's Oren Liebermann, right, the cockpit of a B-52H.
Right: Staff Sgt. Dakeeja Nelson, left, and Senior Airman Veruca Plott, right, check that a precision 500 pound bomb has been properly loaded on the underwing bomb rack of a B-52H.
The mission area
MYLAR11, a US military jet, reaches the mission area between southern Japan and South Korea, where North Korea tested a mid-range ballistic missile. In October, Chinese fighter jets intercepted a B-52 bomber over the South China Sea, causing an "unsafe intercept" by the US. The mission requires precise timing, as smaller fighters cannot linger long. Capt. Sabin "Jett" Park, one of the B-52 pilots, describes the mission as more complex and interesting as the more players there are. After capturing pictures of the jets in formation, the crew turns back for home when the caution light on engine 5 shines bright orange. Within minutes, the crew shuts down the engine, demonstrating the B-52's resilience and redundant nature. Despite being a legacy aircraft, the B-52 is considered a formidable one, with numerous backup systems to carry it through its missions. The mission is not yet complete, and landing any aircraft is a challenge, made more difficult by the duration of the flight. On final approach, the right main gear does not extend, prompting Capt. Tramaine "Omaha" Barnett, the mission commander, to emergency extend it. After 33 hours on runway 33, the jet deploys its drag parachute as they slow down on the runway.
Airman Avery Bulsterbaum, left, Senior Airman Andrew Rodriguez, center, and Senior Airman Justin Joyner, right, practice assembling precision 500 pound bombs as part of the munitions teams.