Although B-52 Stratofortresses have taken part in Operation Epic Fury since early March, they are now operating inside Iranian airspace, according to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
One of the Air Force’s most powerful strategic bombers is now operating over Iran.
According to the Pentagon, B-52 Stratofortress bombers are conducting overland missions over Iran in support of Operation Epic Fury.
American B-52s Are Inside Iran for the First Time
The B-52 has been fighting in the war since the first days of the operation, but it only completed its first overland missions recently.
“Given the increase in air superiority, we’ve successfully started to conduct the first overland B-52 missions,” Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Air Force Gen. Dan Caine said in a Department of Defense media briefing this week.
The presence of Iranian air defense systems initially cautioned the Air Force from using the cumbersome bomber over Iran. Instead, B-52s relied on stand-off munitions that could be fired from a distance to support Operation Epic Fury. However, now that the US military and the Israeli Air Force have established increased air superiority over Iran, B-52s can operate over the country with relative impunity and bring their massive weapons bays over targets.
“[Increased air superiority] allow[s] us, as we’ve said before, to continue to get on top of the enemy and, as the Secretary [Pete Hegseth] talked about, switch towards more and more dynamic targets servicing mobile targets around the battle space,” Caine stated.
The fact that B-52s are now operating directly over Iran means that the Iranian air defense umbrella no longer presents a credible threat to bombers. With that said, aircraft are still in danger. Only last week, an Iranian short-range anti-aircraft missile almost shot down a Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet, which survived due to the skill of its pilot.
“We’ve continued to do the work against Iran’s missile, drone and naval production facilities, and we continue the multi-domain pressure that we’ve talked about,” the most senior US military officer added.
B-52s are operating from the United Kingdom and other US bases around the world.
About the B-52 Stratofortress
- Year Introduced: 1955 (B-52 entered service with the Air Force in February 1955)
- Number Built: 744 (all variants produced); 76 B-52H airframes remain in USAF service (approx.)
- Length: 159 ft 4 in (48.5 m)
- Wingspan: 185 ft 0 in (56.4 m)
- Weight: ~185,000 lbs (84,000 kg) empty (approx.); ~488,000 lbs (221,000 kg) max takeoff weight (approx.)
- Engine: Eight Pratt & Whitney TF33-P-3/103 turbofan engines (~17,000 lbf / ~76 kN thrust each); planned/announced re-engining programs (e.g., Rolls-Royce F130/BR700 family derivatives) for future service life extension
- Top Speed: ~650 mph (1,046 km/h); about Mach 0.86 at altitude (approx.)
- Combat Radius: Mission- and load-dependent; typical practical combat radii vary widely (roughly several thousand miles / ~3,000–7,000 km depending on payload, routing, and aerial refueling)
- Service Ceiling: ~50,000 ft (15,240 m); varies depending on loadout
- Loadout: ~70,000 lbs (~ 31,500 kg) of mixed ordnance, including conventional bombs, smart bombs, stand-off munitions, and nuclear weapons.
- Aircrew: 5 (pilot, co-pilot, weapon systems officer, navigator, electronic warfare officer); varies based on loadout/mission parameters
Seemingly an aircraft from another age, the B-52 is a staple of the Air Force Global Strike Command’s strategic bomber fleet. The aircraft has already been in service for over 70 years and is expected to remain operational—with upgrades—well beyond passing its centennial.
About the Author: Stavros Atlamazoglou
Stavros Atlamazoglouis a seasoned defense journalist specializing in special operationsand a Hellenic Army veteran (national service with the 575th Marine Battalion and Army HQ). He holds a BA from the Johns Hopkins University and an MA from the Johns Hopkins’ School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). His work has been featured in Business Insider, Sandboxx, and SOFREP.
