DU Military Buffs

[DemocratSinceBirth]

I'm reading on social media that the coalition has so degraded Iranian air defenses that they are able to fly seventy year old B-52s over Iran. They are sbout as stealthy as a commercial airliner.

[fujiyamasan]

1. Iran's strategy is likely to simply overwhelm interceptors

These systems (like golden dome and David’s sling are incredibly expensive) and even for those without such a system, interceptors cost somewhere around 10 times the cost of the cheap Shahed drones Iran is launching (each around $20k). The Russians have similarly wreaked havoc on Ukraine with those drones.

It’s asymmetric warfare. They’ll fight this as a war of attrition until other middle eastern countries close to the US are sick of being constantly pummeled.

Everyone is Ukrainian now.

[LogDog75]

2. Air Doctrine says you control the air you control the battlefield.

[DetroitLegalBeagle]

3. True, though there is one exception

Well, two, technically. Yes, B52s are about as stealthy as a flying building, so their survival chances in contested airspace is slim. So either Iran's air defenses are basically non existent now, or they are being used as missile trucks. B52s can carry a lot of cruise missiles and other long range standoff missiles. I believe upwards of 20. So, they could fly close, but remain in safe airspace, launch 15-20 or so guided missiles and turn back. I guess there is a tiny possibility they are just being risked and sent over regardless of if the airspace over Iran is entirely controlled, but I highly doubt it. The Air Force changed their usage doctrine after their losses in Vietnam.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

4. They are using them to drop leaflets and loiter over Tehran air space to rattle the IRGC.

Last edited Wed Mar 4, 2026, 10:52 AM - Edit history (1)

[DetroitLegalBeagle]

5. Well then Iran's air defenses are destroyed then

Because even with incompetence that we see, I can't see the air force just going along with letting them loiter in contested airspace.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

6. I would argue...

I would argue that we're seeing strategic incompetence but tactical competence. The tactical goal is to break things and move fast. Imagine you're a reasonably intelligent person and you see the enemy flying seventy year old eighteen wheelers over your capitol dropping leaflets telling you are not the enemy, the regime is. What a machine the B52 is. During the 1980 campaign Ronald Reagan said our pilots are flying planes older than them. It's amazing they haven't been retired.