• ricecake@sh.itjust.works
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    12 hours ago

    The b-52 is a US long range strategic heavy bomber. It’s been in service for a very long time, and the reference seems to be that we’ll just keep updating it until it’s eventually also “new” and refreshed when the enterprise is being decommissioned.

    • Monument@lemmy.sdf.org
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      9 hours ago

      Someone else pointed out it’s now not a bomber so much as a cargo hauler, but the phrase “Bomber of Theseus” came to mind and gave me a good chuckle.

      • ricecake@sh.itjust.works
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        9 hours ago

        Heh, I like that.

        It can definitely haul cargo, and we have much less use for the type of bombing that it does in modern times. It was still built as a strategic bomber.