The United States Air Force (USAF) will likely set the B-52 to become their new hypersonic missile and weapons carrier. The B-52H aircraft, which, at the time of writing, the USAF currently uses in their front lines, is simply too vulnerable to new air weapon systems. The USAF does, though, have plans to use the B-52 through at least 2050.

In August 2018, U.S. Air Force Colonel Lance Reynolds, the Program Manager for B-1 and B-52 Systems, briefed industry representatives on the status of both bombers during a meeting at Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma.