B-52 Stratofortress Units in Combat 1955–73

The B52 is perhaps the most easily recognized of all USAAF military aircraft since the 1960s. This book looks at the B52's combat history. The B-52 Stratofortress first saw combat over the jungles of Vietnam during Operation Arc Light in June 1965, and it remained in action, flying from bases in the Pacific, until the US withdrawal in early 1973. During the conflict, the brunt of the bombing was carried out by "big belly" B-52Ds. The type next saw action over Iraq and Kuwait during Operation Desert Storm in early 1991, when it was used both as a conventional bomber and as a launch platform for Tomahawk cruise missles. Further action came the B-52s' way in 1999 over Kosovo and Serbia, and this was followed in 2001-2002 by Operation Enduring Freedom, which saw the B-52s flying long-range missions from Diego Garcia, in the Indian Ocean, against Taleban and Al Qaeda targets in Afghanistan.