Why Does The US Air Force Still Rely On The B-52?

The US Air Force still relies on the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress (and its 70,000 lbs of payload capacity) to bring massive ordinance to bear in permissive environments. Perhaps more importantly, it is also a missile truck for long-range bespoke stand-off munitions in non-permissive environments. This enduring aircraft allows the Air Force to make up its bomber numbers in an affordable manner in a world where it hasn’t been able to purchase high-end stealth bombers in sufficient numbers.