Donald Trump has terrifying power of the B52 nuke bombers that could be sent to wipe out Kim Jong-un as North Korea crisis deepens
The B-52 Stratofortress has been on the front line of America's defensive arsenal since the mid-50s. And President Donald Trump has once again called on the bomb-dropping behemoth to ward off the threat of Kim Jong-un's rogue nuclear state
AMERICA'S giant iconic Cold War bomber is back in the spotlight after reports squadrons are on a moment's notice to strike North Korea.
The B-52 Stratofortress - capable of carrying 20 nuclear cruise missiles - has been on the front line of America's defence arsenal since the mid-50s.
Now, President Donald Trump is believed to have once again called on the bomb-dropping behemoth to ward off the threat of Kim Jong-un's rogue nuclear state, according to US reports.
He warned the US has to be "prepared for anything" when it comes to North Korea yesterday.
And within hours the 150ft-wide bombers were being prepared for the possibility of going on 24-hour standby - for the first time since the end of the Cold War.
Their fearsome size means they can carry more than 30 tonnes of bombs - including nuclear-able missiles and precision air-to-surface rockets.
Gen David Goldfein, the US Air Force chief of staff said: "This is yet one more step in ensuring that we’re prepared.
"I look at it more as not planning for any specific event, but more for the reality of the global situation we find ourselves in and how we ensure we’re prepared going forward."
But the US Air Force has since tried to row back on the reports the bombers were going back to Cold War footing, according to Fox News.
A spokesperson told the network: "We are not planning or preparing to put B-52s back on alert."
So iconic were the B-52s that they became synonymous with the Cold War - being deployed in conflicts from Vietnam to the Gulf War and Afghanistan.
Recently they were used to wipe out ISIS fighters in Iraq.
They even went on to become to inspiration for an American rock band of the same name.
Much of the interest in the B-52s stems from their devastating payload - which was seen up close when several of the bombers were deployed to RAF Fairford, Gloucs, earlier this year.
The majority of the 76-strong fleet are based at Barksdale in Louisiana and Minot in North Dakota.
Their range of 8,000 miles put them within range of North Korea - as long as they continue on to nearby US bases in Guam.
And when they do arrive they pack a devastating payload.
The nuclear-capable fleet can each deliver 30 TONNES worth of bombs, missiles and mines - all the while being protected by remote-control cannon on its tail.
The jewel in the crown of the £95million B-52s are its nuke-carrying AGM-86C cruise missiles.
Each can pack a punch ten times more powerful than the nuclear bomb that devastated Hiroshima in 1945.
The B-52 Stratofortress in numbers
As America's biggest nuclear bomber is prepared for war with North Korea, we take a look at the 60-year-old behemoth's vital statistics
- Maiden flight - 1955
- Cost - £95million
- Number in service - 76 (18 in reserve)
- Where are they based? - Barksdale AFB, Louisiana and Minot AFB, North Dakota
- Size - Wingspan: 56m, Length: 49m
- Top speed: 650mph
- Altitude - 50,000 ft
- Payload - up to 30 tonnes of bombs and mines
- Missile arsenal: AGM-84 Harpoon missiles, AGM-142 Raptor missiles and AGM-86C air-launched nuclear cruise missiles
- Range - 8,000 miles
- Defensive arsenal - Remote-controlled rear M61 Vulcan cannon
The B-52's fearsome missile arsenal
How the giant bomber's weaponry stacks up
AGM-84 air-to-surface Harpoon - 8
- Firepower - 221kg warhead
- Speed - 537mph
- Cost - £900,000 each
AGM-142 Popeye air-to-surface missile - 4
- Firepower - 340kg warhead
- Range - 48km
- Accuracy - Can hit target with accuracy of three metres
AGM-86 air-launched nuclear cruise missile - 20
- Firepower - 150kt nuclear weapon (ten times power of Hiroshima bomb)
- Speed - 550mph
- Cost - £800,000 without nuclear warhead
And while moving at a relatively sluggish 650mph, the behemoths are difficult to knock out of the sky owing to their 50,000 operating ceiling.
The Sun reported back in June how three of the giant bombers were being deployed at Fairford to take part in Nato drills.
Lieutenant-General Richard Clark, commander of 3rd US Air Force, said the deployment shows “how our team of allies can rapidly amass at a time and location of our choosing to deter and defend against any possible aggression.”
We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us at tips@the-sun.co.uk or call 0207 782 4368 . We pay for videos too. Click here to upload yours