Plot Details: This opinion reveals everything about the movie's plot.

One of the most devastating weapons that have been developed for use in combat is the strategic bomber. Unlike tactical bombers, which are small on range and payload, the strategic bomber is long ranged and could carry a tremendous load of weapons, taking the war straight to an enemy. This video program focuses on one of the greatest and most successful bombers ever built: Boeing’s B-52 Stratofortress.

When the B-52 debuted in the early 1950’s, its primary mission was designed for carrying and delivering another devastating weapon: The atomic bomb. The A-Bomb completely revamped the purpose of strategic bombers and made them even more destructive and formidable weapons. Ironically, nuclear weapons were developed and carried on alert B-52s with the hope that the thought of their usage would deter enemies.

The B-52 was only the latest in a long line of great bombers, from the B-17 Flying Fortress of World War II fame to the enormous B-36 Peacemaker to the graceful, jet powered B-47 Stratojet. The B-52 was significant in being the first jet heavy bomber with an intercontinental range (5,000 miles), but it could also fly at very high altitudes to avoid enemy fighters. Advancements in technology and warfare in the 1960s seemed to doom the B-52, such as other forms of nuclear weapon delivery (Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs) and Submarine Launched Ballistic Missiles (SLBMs), not to mention the development of surface-to-air missiles (SAMs). But the bomber crews changed tactics, going from high altitude penetration to low levels and began relying even more heavily on radar jamming. American involvement in Vietnam also gave the B-52s new life, as a number of the planes were converted for conventional use with great success. Between 1965 and 1968, they dropped nearly 900,000 tons of bombs on targets throughout Vietnam. Their involvement during the Linebacker campaigns in 1972, which saw the planes penetrate the heart of North Vietnam, was considered to be a key factor in bringing about the ultimate ceasefire and conclusion to the long, costly war.

After Vietnam, the B-52 was again considered to be replaced (An attempt to replace it in 1964 with the advanced XB-70 Valkyrie fell through due to the costs of that plane and the changing political climate, along with the development of other weapons systems). The intended B-1A replacement was shelved, though, when cruise missiles came about, which could be delivered by B-52s many miles away from a target and outside of radar range, increasing the airplane’s survivability. The 1980s saw the re-emergence of the B-1 in the B-1B, as well as the B-2 stealth bomber. But the B-52 still carries on due to advancements in the variety of ordnance that it carries, along with constant modernization and upgrades. The B-52 fleet has survived and adapted to many changes, and it is now predicted that it could soldier on as late as 2040! (To put that into perspective, the B-52 prototype first flew in 1952, the production planes were first delivered in 1955 and the last one was built in 1962! Talk about sticking with what works).

This documentary (Part of Video Ordnance’s Fire Power series) focuses heavily on the current make up of B-52 operations and on the deployment and usage of the plane today (Or at least around 1992). There are extensive interviews with B-52 crewmembers, wing commanders and other air force personal, as they discuss aspects of the B-52 such as its electronic countermeasures, the upgrading of the planes, their usage in Desert Storm and so on. The video is a bit out of date in some aspects. For instance, it mentions that the B-52G and H models (The last two, and most advanced, variants of the plane) were the only versions left in service. As of 1994, only the B-52H remains in service as the B-52G force was retired. There is also a brief bit about the tail gun armament of the B-52, which became of only secondary importance with the changes in tactics. The tail guns were deactivated in late 1991, probably shortly after this video was recorded. Those aspects are relatively small, however, and the overall whole of the program is still great and relevant.

Great importance is put on the significance of in-flight refueling. Though the B-52 has significant range, it can only fly indefinitely with the aid of tanker planes and crews. A tanker hook-up is shown during the video, along with a detailed discussion by a boom operator about how the intricate process goes about. In-flight refueling is not the safest thing (There have been collisions in the past, most notably one in 1967 of a nuclear armed B-52, which sent nuclear weapons crashing into the Indian Ocean), but its importance cannot be underestimated, as shown during the 1991 Persian Gulf War. Such is the importance of in-flight refueling in military operations that tanker crews train and practice extensively alongside combat crews to coordinate operations better and more effectively.

Speaking of the Gulf War (The first one, anyway), it forms the last segment of this video. In January 1991, Operation Desert Storm- the liberation of Kuwait from Iraq's clutches- was launched with extensive aerial and naval attacks. On the opening night, a B-52 wing from Barksdale AFB in Louisiana flew all the way to Iraq, fired cruise missiles at targets in Baghdad and flew back: A record 34 hour combat mission. B-52s flew missions throughout the rest of the war from bases in England, Spain and Diego Garcia Island in the Indian Ocean, delivering roughly 30% of the ordnance dropped by aircraft. Crewmembers discuss about how long and arduous the missions were, but they helped contributed once again to the conflict being drawn to an end (At least for another decade, until George Bush’s misguided son decided to mess around with the region's stability). With the end of Desert Storm came radical changes in the organization of the American military. With the fall of the Soviet Union, the major nuclear threat diminished. Thus, B-52s were taken off of being on constant alert. In 1992, the Strategic Air Command (SAC)- the branch of the air force responsible for strategic bombing operations- was disbanded and became a part of Air Combat Command (ACC). Through it all, though, the B-52 has survived. It’s protected and represented the United States for fifty years now, and still has a long way to go.

The audio mix, at least on my tape, was mostly fair. However, there were occasions where the background noise (The music) was louder then the narration, which is annoying. The narration was pretty good and the footage was great and diverse: We never saw the same shots used over and over again, but rather a variety with both archive footage of the B-52s in the early days and in Vietnam, as well as from recent times being deployed during exercises here in the United States.

The best documentaries I’ve seen on the B-52 were two which were seen on the Discovery Channel series Weekday Wings in the mid-1990’s (Before the channel Discovery Wings debuted). The first was a regular program, showing the design and development of the B-52 with extensive use of historical footage to put the plane into context. Another one, Instant Thunder, focused heavily on the use of the B-52 in Vietnam and Desert Storm, using both archived footage and interviews. Both were extremely good. Strategic Air Power is not bad at all, however, and is well worth seeing.

Recommended: Yes

Viewing Format: VHS