Could the B-52 remain in service long enough to outlast the B-21 as well as earlier replacement aircraft?
Short answerIt is treated as plausible because the B-52 had already survived the service lives or replacement expectations associated with the B-1, B-2, and F-117.
NotesThe B-52 remained operational after aircraft once expected to supersede or complement it had come and gone. The B-1, B-2, and F-117 are named as part of that sequence. From the perspective of this 2023 exchange, the older bomber might even outlast the B-21. The comparison is playful, but adaptable platforms and changing mission needs can defeat simple procurement timelines.