Military Model Scene

Title: B-52 Stratofortress Units in Combat 1992-2025
Author: Peter E. Davies
Publisher: Osprey
ISBN: 978-1-4728-6503-8

Number 158 in the Combat Aircraft series from Osprey. A 96-page soft-cover book, with artwork by Gareth Hector and Jim Laurier.
This brings us up to date with the story of the BUFF, the B-52. Famous for being designed as a delivery platform for nuclear weapons, and then in Vietnam, as a 'bomb truck', delivering large volumes of conventional iron bombs. Now we can learn how it has continued to evolve in so many ways. The story is spread across six chapters along with the addition of 11 pages of colour profile artwork illustrating individual aircraft, plus some examples of individual nose art illustrations. They are all expanded on with the detail contained within the appendix at the end of the book. The stories cover the operational squadrons, their home bases as well as others used for overseas deployments, along with the numbers of these aircraft which remain in service and in reserve. The combat situations include missions over Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria and the states of the former Yugoslavia. There have been many long flights which must have been challenging. Amongst this we also discover how regular upgrades have helped the B-52 become even more flexible in the types of mission they can fly, delivering not only strategic bombing but also close air support for ground troops. Well illustrated throughout, not only with the artwork, but with plenty of photos which are of course in colour as they are modern images.
I have long been a fan of the B-52, and seeing how it has coped with upgrades in so many areas as well as performing so well with modern smart weapons such as JDAM, and all the while still able to deliver volumes of 'dumb' bombs when the situation requires it. It is one of 3 heavy bombers in the US arsenal, alongside the B-1B and the B'2 Stealth bomber. Some missions have involved all 3 working together, and despite being the eldest of the three, the B-52 is outlasting them all, with service expected to go on into the 2040s and possibly beyond. I learnt a lot of new things about the B-52 from this one, and thoroughly enjoyed the read.
Thanks to Osprey for the review copy.

Robin