The Boeing B-52 Stratofortress entered U.S. Air Force service in 1955.
The first B-52A entered service on June 29, 1955, with the 93rd Bomb Wing at Castle Air Force Base in California. The aircraft had been designed as a long-range strategic bomber during the early Cold War, when the United States emphasized the ability to deliver nuclear weapons over intercontinental distances.
The B-52’s eight engines were originally mounted in paired pods beneath its swept wings. Although its earliest versions were turboprop concepts, Boeing’s final design used turbojet engines, giving the bomber high speed and long range.
The aircraft was initially associated with the Cold War nuclear deterrent and later conducted conventional bombing missions, including operations in Vietnam and the Gulf War. Its unusually long service life makes it easy to confuse its entry date with later modernization milestones.