This has never been an issue for the B-52 with its range and air to air refueling. They forward deploy from US to one of our bases like Diego Garcia or Guam and the any place we need them is now in easy mission reach.
Whereas you can forward deploy
The B-52 has been the most used bomber in US inventory. Usage tells and the B-52 has dumped more bombs than anything else.
Uh, I was questioning the development of a new intermediate bomber here, not questioning the worth of the B-52.
Not what I am talking about. Pilot Fatigue on a mission. You can't stand and stretch your legs in fighter. You can't turn the aircraft over the co-pilot and take a nap. The B-52 can do these things.
Lack on loiter means you're not going to be on station for long, couple of hours at max.
You don't use a $70K guided missile with 10 lbs of HE when you can drop an iron bomb left over from Vietnam or Korea...
Iron bombs are not noticeably accurate, at least compared to guided munitions.
A Single B-52 carries more weapons than an entire squadron of attack fighters. Weapons are dropped in ones or twos as needed. A B-52 is artillery on demand.
That's helpful if you want to destroy a buried enemy complex or a tank company, but for taking out a small convoy of light-vehicles or a small camp then a drone is good enough, a lot more fuel-efficient, and a lot less noticeable (the target may not have weapons, but if it's anywhere near the border, the neighbours are going to have a fit).
There are uses for both of course.
Which is kind of my point, The B-52 (or its replacement) will always be useful in certain situations, but it will never be the only bomber. What I question is the need for a specific intermediate bomber, surely a modified P-8 or MC-130 could function as well as a dedicated but new aircraft.