Secret Squirrel Stratofortress — the B-52 known as El Lobo II

Secret Squirrel Stratofortress — the B-52 known as El Lobo II:

Secret Squirrel Stratofortress — the B-52 known as El Lobo II

30º 27′ 52″ N / 86º 33′ 41″ W

16-17 December 1991: 57 men in 7 B-52 Stratofortresses completed a record setting historical combat mission which was designated Secret Squirrel.

This mission was the first strike of Operation Desert Storm — initiating Gulf War I — flying 35 hours over 14,000 miles to launch 35 of the new and top secret Conventional Air Launched Cruise Missile (CALCM) AGM-86C cruise missiles with their revolutionary GPS navigation into six target areas. These were pinpoint attacks and were significant in taking down one of the most sophisticated air defense networks in existence. The attack blinded and deafened the network in support of the follow-on tactical strike aircraft.

Five of the seven secret squirrel B-52 aircraft have been sent to scrapping but two are displayed in museums. Valkyrie is on exhibit at the Pima Air & Space Museum and El Lobo II (pictured below) is displayed on the grounds of the U.S. Air Force Armament Museum.

El Lobo II, a Boeing B-52G Stratofortress, one of the seven Secret Squirrel bombers — photo by Joseph May

The nose art of El Lobo II — photo by Joseph May

One half of El Lobo II's engines — photo by Joseph May

El Lobo II in left profile — photo by Joseph May

Wrinkled skin of the B-52 which would expand, flattening the wrinkles, once heated by air friction at the higher flight speeds — photo by Joseph May

Four castering main gear trucks are unique to the B-52 Stratofortress — photo by Joseph May

The B-52 "G" model had a remote rear gun position with the gunner in the cockpit with the balance of the flight crew — photo by Joseph May

Posts on the museum and its displays can easily be found by pasting “U.S. Air Force Armament Museum” into the search window and selecting ENTER.

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From Air Force Print News Today on 01 February 2011, an article that is a concise overview of the Secret Squirrel mission and written by Lt. Col. Joseph C. Jones

The Shreveport Times has this article listing the fates of the seven secret squirrel B-52s as well as a roster of each crew.