PESHAWAR (Agencies) - America’s B-52 heavy bomber aircraft, which can carry nuclear and conventional ordnance with worldwide precision navigation capability, was again seen hovering over Pakistan’s tribal areas on Sunday.
The flights of US B-52 bomber, along other spy planes, continued over Fata for last several weeks, causing panic among the locals.
Quoting sources, a private TV channel reported that the US drones and B-52 warplanes were hovering over areas of North and South Waziristan and Kurram Agency for the last several weeks.
Monitoring Desk adds: US Air Combat Command’s B-52 is a long-range, heavy bomber that can perform a variety of missions. The bomber is capable of flying at high subsonic speeds at altitudes up to 50,000 feet.
In a conventional conflict, the B-52 can perform air interdiction, offensive counter-air and maritime operations. During Desert Storm, B-52s delivered 40 per cent of all the weapons dropped by coalition forces. It is highly effective when used for ocean surveillance, and can assist the US Navy in anti-ship and mine-laying operations. Two B-52s, in two hours, can monitor 364,000 square kilometres of ocean surface.
All B-52s are equipped with an electro-optical viewing system that uses platinum silicide forward-looking infrared and high resolution low-light-level television sensors to augment the targeting, battle assessment, flight safety and terrain-avoidance system, thus further improving its combat ability and low-level flight capability.
Pilots wear night vision goggles (NVGs) to enhance their night visual, low-level terrain-following operations.
Night vision goggles provide greater safety during night operations by increasing the pilot’s ability to visually clear terrain and avoid enemy radar.
In September 2007, a B-52 bomber had been mistakenly loaded with nuclear weapons and flown over American sky. As a result of the incident a thorough review was done by the US Air Force and a commander was dismissed.
US House Armed Services Committee Chairman Rep. Ike Skeleton described the weapon mishandling ‘deeply disturbing’ and called for more details to ensure that Defence Department would address it appropriately. (News sourced from:www.nation.com)
