It would certainly seem that the value of American engineering peaked between the 1950s and early 1960s. The Lockheed U-2 spy plane, which first flew in 1955, is now approaching 57 years old. Originally due to be retired in 2015 and replaced by the unmanned Global Hawk system, it’s now expected that the dragonfly-like aircraft will remain in service until 2023, at the grand old age of 68 years. Though this sounds incredible, and it is, it’s also not unprecedented, and represents the efficiency of investment that the U.S. military can and should make.

The Lockheed U-2.

The Boeing B-52 Stratofortress, which first flew in 1952 (and the last of which were produced in 1962), is due to remain in service until 2045, representing 90 years of service to this country.  The airframes, when retired, will be over 80 years old. By that time, it’s possible that 4 generations of Americans could have flown the exact same single aircraft.

And this list of very old equipment still serving this country grows longer. The C-130 first flew in 1954. The KC-135 Stratotanker, based on the Boeing 707, first flew in 1954. The M2 Browning .50 caliber machine gun, first designed at the end of WWI, is still one of the most effective and versatile weapons in the U.S. arsenal. And though a bit newer, the USS Enterprise, the world’s first nuclear aircraft carrier, is due to be decommissioned in 2013 after 51 consecutive years of service.

What more can you ask? In a day when your brand new iPhone is already outdated 4 days after you buy it, a 50+ year old purchase still in frontline service is a phenomenal representation of just how well dollars can be spent. While our new high tech military toys are really cool and impressive, how many do we expect to still be the best at what they do for over 50 years? As the defense budget is set to shrink, we must pay careful attention in assuring that those precious dollars are spent in ways that truly return on their investment.

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