The B-52 airframes have long been planned to be in use for 95 years when they&#x27;re finally retired. I wish I could find an image but I distinctly remember a publication from the 80&#x27;s that showed a chart of the all aircraft in use from their first year of entering service to the projected EOL. The B-52 was a notable outlier in how long it was going to be kept in service. I always assumed it was an extended life test for the USAF. They are also insurance against a cataclysmic event that makes modern technology hard to maintain.