B-52 (2001)

The B-52 military plane was developed in 1947 as an extreme weapon in the fight for global hegemony and nuclear dominance. It was the first jet-propelled long-distance bomber that could be refuelled in flight, thus making it independent of overseas air bases. The plane was primarily built to transport atomic weapons. All stratospheric nuclear tests carried out by the United States in the 1950's used bombs dropped by B-52's. It was later used extensively in the Vietnam War, the Gulf War and more recently in the Kosovo Conflict. Today, 50 years after making its first appearance, it is still in service. The bomber is not only an accurate parable on the continuation of the Cold War beyond its historical end-date. It is also a perfect metaphor for the immeasurable power, technical capacity and productivity of a nation which ploughs the majority of the surplus generated by its economy, workforce and intellectual activity into its military machine.