This site hosts publications and materials related to the Nuclear-capable B-52 Stratofortress Project, coordinated by Richard Tanter.

The principal contents are a series of Nautilus Institute Special Reports by Vince Scappatura and Richard Tanter, and related materials:

• Vince Scappatura and Richard Tanter, Nuclear-capable B-52H Stratofortress strategic bombers: a visual guide to identification, 2024 (full version  available here: 11.3 MB PDF).
• Vince Scappatura and Richard Tanter, B-52 strategic bombers in Australia, 1979 – 1991 and the nuclear heterodoxy of Malcolm Fraser, Nautilus Institute Special Report, 4 August 2025 (pp. 162: full version available here: 4.9 MB PDF)

NEW: Special Report, 4 August 2025

B-52 strategic bombers in Australia, 1979 – 1991 and
the nuclear heterodoxy of Malcolm Fraser,
4 August 2025

The second publication in the project is Vince Scappatura and Richard Tanter, B-52 strategic bombers in Australia, 1979 – 1991 and the nuclear heterodoxy of Malcolm Fraser, Nautilus Institute Special Report, 4 August 2025.

The short, web-based Introduction to the B-52 strategic bombers in Australia, 1979 – 1991 and the nuclear heterodoxy of Malcolm Fraser Special Report is available here. (PDF, 5MB).

The full version of the Special Report is available here.

Related materials to this report:

• Media package, B-52 strategic bombers in Australia, 1979 – 1991 and the nuclear heterodoxy of Malcolm Fraser 
• Vince Scappatura and Richard Tanter, ‘When Australia defied U.S. nuclear plans‘, Declassified Australia, 26 August 2025; republished as ‘When Australia defied US nuclear plans. Part 1: B-52s over Australia in the 1980s‘, Pearls & Irritations, 5 September 2025, and ‘When Australia defied US nuclear plans. Part 2: Sovereignty at stake‘, Pearls & Irritations, 6 September 2025.

Special Report, 4 August 2024

Nuclear-capable B-52H Stratofortress strategic bombers:
a visual guide to identification,
5 August 2024

The first publication in the project was Vince Scappatura and Richard Tanter, Nuclear-capable B-52H Stratofortress strategic bombers: a visual guide to identification, Nautilus Institute Special Report, 5 August 2024.

The web-based Introduction to the Nuclear-capable B-52H Stratofortress strategic bombers Special Report is available here.

The full version of the Special Report is available here (11.3MB PDF).

Related materials to this report:

• Which B-52s are nuclear-capable? Complete list of armament classification of all extant B-52H aircraft, with armament classification confidence level, main operating base, and unit (2024)
• Press Information Kit
• B-52H Fleet Structure and Armament Capability Changes, 2008 – 2024
• Image gallery – unpublished selected primary source images provided courtesy of the photographers.
• Vince Scappatura and Richard Tanter, They will tell me.’ Malcolm Fraser’s Cold War nuclear heterodoxy and Labor’s willed ignorance today, Pearls & Irritations, 31 August 2024.
• Vince Scappatura and Richard Tanter, ‘Nuclear-capable B-52H Stratofortress bombers: a visual guide to identification’ [extract], Pearls & Irritations, 1 September 2024.