11 photos of the legendary B-52 Stratofortress bomber

The US Air Force recently announced that the last squadrons of the legendary B-52 Stratofortress have returned home after concluding operations against ISIS in the Middle East and the Taliban in Afghanistan.

"Following two years of B-52 squadrons employing nearly 12,000 weapons on Islamic State and Taliban targets across U.S. Central Command's area of responsibility, the venerable BUFF flew its last mission April 7 before turning over the bomber duty reins to the newly arrived B-1B Lancer," an Air Force spokesman said in a statement.

The bomber, nicknamed the BUFF for "Big Ugly Fat Fellow," has been in service with the Air Force for 63 years, the last two of which it served as US Central Command's go-to bomber.

Here's what it can do:

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SEE ALSO: The US used the B-1B Lancer long-range bomber to strike Syria — here's what it can do