Defense Weapons System - Term Paper Example

Defense Weapons System Introduction War has changed. Since the dawn of history, human beings have been known to come into conflict with each other for various reasons. Be it over ideology, resources or some other inscrutable cause, people who are unable to see eye to eye with each other may ultimately resort to aggression to cow and subjugate perceived enemies. For all that they have evolved greatly with the passage of time, the desire for both success and superiority remains an innate trait of humans. It is from these tendencies that the maxims of peace through superior firepower and of sic vis pacem, para bellum - if you want peace, prepare for war - came about. This being the case, it should come as no surprise that, following World War II, still remembered today as the most horrific war in the history of mankind, the worlds nations resolved to do all they could to ensure that so terrible a conflict would not repeat itself. However, this inevitably gave rise to the Cold War which, while not a war in the traditional sense of the word, still managed to put everyone on edge at the so-called arms race between the United States and the Soviet Union. Each sought to outdo the other in everything that they did, all with the proverbial Sword of Damocles hanging over the worlds head in the form of their respective nuclear arsenals. This threat of mutually assured destruction meant that, should they go to war with each other, it could possibly mean the end of the world. Given the context, it should come as no surprise that the Cold War saw the creation of some of the most useful, innovative and dangerous pieces of military hardware ever created. One of the most notable among these is the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress, on which the United States used what was left of its war chest in the final days of the last great war. Even today, the B-52 remains in active service, and will likely remain so until the year 2040 (Skillings, 2012). Indeed, the various improvements and upgrades over the B-52s original design have ensured that it will not be feeling its age anytime soon. This paper thus aims to discuss the history surrounding the B-52, namely in terms of conceptualization, creation and its active service. Developments over the original design shall also be examined. All in all, the objective is to provide a comprehensive background of the B-52s role as in ensuring the defense and security of the United States. The B-52: Tender Beginnings The longevity of the B-52 is, in a word, incredible. This is especially apparent in light of its predecessor the B-29 which, after most infamously being used in the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, spent a total of 21 years in active service before being decommissioned. That being said, though, both the B-52 and the B-29 find common ground in their origins during the Second World War. Whereas the B-29 would be fielded just in time for World War II, the B-52 instead was conceived in the wars final days (B-52 Stratofortress Association, 2012). And even then, it was not until after the war that the B-52 first saw the light of day. The origins of the B-52 Stratofortress date back to 1945, when the Army Air Corps initiated a design competition (GlobalSecurity.org, 2012) calling for a newer strategic bomber to succeed the B-29 and the B-36, which would eventually be won by Boeing. The specifications called for an aircraft capable of carrying a bomb load of up to 10,000 pounds up to a distance of 5,000 miles, and at an altitude of 35,000 feet - all at a minimum cruising speed of 450 miles per hour. In fact, Boeing had their hands full at first as they tried to conform to these standards, especially with respect to coming up with an engine powerful enough to provide such speed and range. On the other hand, this also allowed Boeing to bypass this seeming impasse by settling on the eight engine design sported by the B-52 today (Federation of American Scientists, 2012). Certain features would also be adopted from its predecessors the B-36 and the B-47, leading to further breakthroughs. Eventually, the XB-52 - a fully functional prototype - was rolled out in November of 1951 (B-52 Stratofortress Association, 2012). More variants of the B-52 would be created over the next 30 years as improvements continued to be made on a regular basis, before the year 1983 marked the end of the first generation. The B-52 has undoubtedly proven to be Boeings single most enduring aircraft today. Even then, though, its success is belied by its tender beginnings and by the design flaws were slowly but surely ironed out over the years. That it continues to be in service today, more than 50 years after its conceptualization, is a testament to the expertise with which the B-52s design was crafted by its makers. B-52 - Active Service As already mentioned, it was during the Cold War that the B-52 Stratofortress really began to see active use by the US Military. During this time, the Soviet Union was focusing on further enhancing its already formidable nuclear capabilities, which sparked a greater concern on the part of the United States to boost its own countermeasures against nuclear strikes as a matter of utmost strategic importance. It helped that no less than President Dwight Eisenhower himself endorsed this paradigm shift, placing greater preference on military targets rather than civilians (Rosenberg, 1983). Strategic bombers such as the B-52 would thus serve different roles. Where some would focus on alert patrols, others would wait near the borders of the Soviet Union, ready to deliver swift reprisals in the event of nuclear war (Kristensen, 2012). However, this changed towards the end of the 1950s. In response to the increased prevalence of surface-to-air missiles and the threat they posed to aircraft, the B-52s role was changed to that of a low-level penetration bomber. And while it was never meant to be used in such a capacity, the innate versatility of the design itself granted it remarkable adaptability to practically any role. Indeed, it is thanks to this flexibility that the aircraft has outlasted several would-be successors to become a staple of the United States Armed Forces. The B-52 would continue to see active use throughout the Vietnam War, where one of its kind would be downed by a surface-to-air missile for the first time ever (Los Angeles Times, 1972). Together with several others, this incident demonstrated that, innovative though it was, the B-52 Stratofortress was by no means invincible, and could still be destroyed by enemy fire. At the same time, however, the B-52s overall longevity was not overlooked. Indeed, the fact that it took almost 20 years for one of its kind to be shot down also served to highlight the many strengths of the design, so much so that even the decommissioning of the B to G models turned out to be short-lived in the long run. Even the B-1, which was touted as the B-52s successor, turned out to be only slightly better than the older models (Anderton, 1985). In fact, considering that the B-52s would-be successors have all been outlasted in the end, the same might have happened to the B-1 as well. By the time the Gulf War rolled around, the B-52 Stratofortress was still alive and well. Operation Desert Storm alone was known to have had 1,620 sorties flown by B-52s, during which they accounted for 40% of all weapons dropped by coalition forces, while usually incurring only minor damage for it. It would again make history on January 16, 1991 when, after a mere 9 years, it set a new record for the longest-distance combat mission. Bombing runs carried out by B-52s worked particularly well at demoralizing Iraqi troops, who would waste no time surrendering shortly after. Indeed, the Gulf War saw the B-52 used to the greatest effect (Garvey, 1999). The B-52s outstanding versatility and adaptability has allowed it to remain effective even well after the turn of the millennium. To date, this aircraft continues to be a mainstay at various maintenance depots all over the United States. And while the Air Force has new projects for more modern bombers waiting in the wings, it has also announced its intent to retain the B-52 in active service until at least 2045(Hebert, 2007). By then, the B-52 will have been in service for over 90 years, the most of any aircraft. B-52 - Further Developments One of the biggest reasons why the B-52 has lasted for so long in service is its outstanding versatility. Its simple design allows it to be easily upgraded as called for by the situation, and at a relatively low cost. To illustrate, it has always been known for its reasonable cost of flight - $72,000, compared to the $135,000 required by the B-2. While nowhere near as flashy as more modern military aircraft, the B-52 Stratofortress is still very much capable of throwing down with the best of them (Cortes, 2003). Such a low cost is in stark contrast to its outstanding effectiveness, especially with respect to providing support to ground troops. This means that a B-52 fitted with up-to-date equipment can be counted on to deliver results that are just as, if not even more significant than its more sophisticated contemporaries. As it is, modern variants of the B-52 have already been upgraded with a stronger airframe, as well as sensors that allow it to carry out effective bombing runs under most conditions. A suggestion was also made by Boeing to replace the engines, in the process increasing the B-52s range while reducing fuel consumption - a suggestion that was opposed by the Government Accountability Office as being too costly and troublesome. Such claims, however, would in turn be disputed by the Defense Sciences Board, which pointed out that changing the engines would not only improve range and endurance, but would also reduce the emission of greenhouse gases, aside from incurring much in the way of savings (Office of the Undersecretary of Defense, 2004). That being said, the proposed re-engining has yet to be approved even as of this writing. The year 2006 saw the B-52 make history yet again as the first US Military aircraft to run purely on alternative fuel, in line with an initiative on the part of the government to replace half of all aviation fuel with alternative sources by 2016 (Zamorano, 2006). To put this into perspective, the B-52 is already noted for its relatively cheap cost of deployment in comparison to other military aircraft of similar effectiveness. In fact, it can even be said that its engine and fuel consumption constitute the greatest factors with respect to the operation costs of the B-52. By further adapting it such that it becomes capable of running entirely on alternative fuel, the already affordable costs of deploying a B-52 become even more so, allowing the military to deploy more aircraft for less. Its avionics have also been upgraded over the years. The year 2007 saw the addition of he LITENING targeting pod, improving its combat performance regardless of visibility and weather conditions (Hopper, 2008). This granted the B-52 guidance and sensor systems on par with more modern aircraft, most notably the F-16 and the Harrier II, both of which it was already keeping up with even prior to the upgrade. Considering that the B-52 has never been known for dismal performance, this can only mean that the already formidable old timer has become much more so. Conclusion The preceding paragraphs should serve as a background to the B-52s storied career as one of the premier bomber units of the United States Armed Forces. Ever since its debut in the 1950s, the B-52 has accumulated quite the record, and has remained vastly successful even, against all odds, well into the 21st century. One will easily notice that this aircraft continues to perform on par with the flashier designs of today. All things considered, it can reasonably be said that the B-52 Stratofortress is arguably one of the best investments the United States has made with respect to defense, if not the best. That it remains very much capable of performing to par with todays sleeker and more impressive models should speak for itself. Indeed, the B-52s relatively unassuming appearance belies the truth that, sometimes, simple is best. References Anderton, D. (1985) "B-1B: Out of the Shadows." Popular Mechanics. 162(11), 98–99, 174 Cortes, L. (2003) "B-52 Crew Credits Arsenal, Loiter Capability During Operation Iraqi Freedom." Defense Daily. Defense Science Board Task Force (2004) Defense Science Board Task Force on B-52H Re-Engining. Office of the Under Secretary of Defense For Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Federation of American Scientists (2012) B-52 Stratofortress History. Federation of American Scientists. Retrieved on November 26, 2012 from http://www.fas.org/nuke/guide/usa/bomber/b-52_hist.htm Garvey, W. (1999) "New Life for Buff: Older than its pilots, the B-52 gets ready to fly for 100 years." Popular Mechanics. GlobalSecurity.org (2012) B-52 Stratofortress History. GlobalSecurity.org. Retrieved on November 26, 2012 from http://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/systems/b-52-history.htm Hebert, A. J. (2007) "Strategic Force." Air Force Magazine. 90(2), 38–43. Hopper, D. (2008) "Upgraded B-52 Still on Cutting Edge." WSTIAC. Kristensen, H. M. (2012) "The Airborne Alert Program Over Greenland." The Nuclear Information Project. Retrieved on November 26, 2012 from http://www.nukestrat.com/dk/alert.htm Los Angeles Times (1972) "Reds Down First B-52 of War." Los Angeles Times. Rosenberg, D. A. (1983) "The Origins of Overkill: Nuclear Weapons and American Strategy, 1945–1960." International Security. Spring 1983. Skillings, J. (2012) Sixty years on, the B-52 is still going strong. CNet.com. Retrieved on November 26, 2012 from http://news.cnet.com/8301-13639_3-57413883-42/sixty-years-on-the-b-52-is-still-going-strong The story of the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress (2012) B-52 Stratofortress Association. Retrieved on November 26, 2012 from http://www.stratofortress.org/history.htm Zamorano, M. (2006) "B-52 synthetic fuel testing: Center commander pilots first Air Force B-52 flight using solely synthetic fuel blend in all eight engines." Aerotech News and Review. Read More