The Youngest B-52 Was Built in 1962 and the US Air Force Plans to Fly It Until 2050 -- 88 Years in Service. In Early March 2026, B-52s Struck Ballistic Missile Sites Inside Iran for the First Time.

The U.S. Air Force plans to keep the B-52 Stratofortress bomber flying until 2050, extending the service life of the youngest B-52 airframes built in 1962. The fleet’s remaining models are B-52H variants, which are being rebuilt rather than retired: they are being re-engined with Rolls-Royce F130s for an estimated 30% fuel-efficiency gain, and the legacy AN/APQ-166 radar is being replaced with an AESA system, AN/APQ-188, with initial operational capability planned for 2027. In early March 2026, B-52s deployed to the Middle East and struck ballistic-missile production sites inside Iran for the first time in the current fighting, as announced under Operation Epic Fury by CENTCOM commander Admiral Brad Cooper.