Like the music that keeps on playing, B-52s have outlived the existence of the nuclear-strike-ready Strategic Air Command. They now fly along with its stealthy young sister, the B-2 Spirit long-range heavy bomber, for the Air Force Global Strike Command.

Despite the B-52’s age and simplicity — “this was basically designed on a cocktail napkin,” Stock said — they have proved they can handle their globe-trotting duties for both conventional and nuclear weapons. For the past 10 years, they have supported a continuous bomber presence to maintain security and stability in the Pacific region.

This year marks the 60th year they have been in operational service.

During those decades, B-52s have evolved with the changing technology from dropping gravity bombs to now laser-guided and GPS “smart” bombs. They now have computerized navigational and targeting systems. And, they can deliver just about every type of weapon in the Air Force inventory except for air-to-air strike missiles. But they can fire air-launched cruise missiles.

he bomber can fly at high subsonic speeds at altitudes reaching 50,000 feet. It has eight Pratt & Whitney turbofan jet engines, “and we’ve got a range of about 8,000 miles unrefueled. So we can literally fly around the world,” said Stock, a 2006 ROTC graduate from the University of Nebraska Omaha.

“I’ve flown about a 33-hour mission myself basically halfway around the world and back without landing. So basically we’re limited by crew endurance,” he said.

Fully loaded with bombs and fuel, a B-52H weighs 488,000 pounds, including the fuselage, wings, tail, gear and other components.

Because of that, the B-52 is equipped with tandem-wheel landing gear as well as single-wheel supports near the tip of its swept-back wings to handle sag from the load of bombs and fuel and prevent the wings from scraping the runway on takeoff.