A U.S. Air Force B-52 Stratofortress crashed shortly after takeoff from Edwards Air Force Base in Kern County, California, on Monday, officials said.The aircraft went down on the Edwards airfield around 11:20 a.m., according to a statement from the base posted on X.”A United States Air Force B-52 Stratofortress crashed shortly after takeoff on the Edwards airfield at 11:20 a.m,” Edwards Air Force Base wrote on X. “Emergency crews immediately responded to the scene and the situation is ongoing.””More information will be provided as it becomes available,” the base added.11 SKYDIVERS, ONE PILOT KILLED IN MISSOURI PLANE CRASH NEAR AIRPORTThe base said in a follow-up post that the airfield had been closed and all inbound aircraft were being diverted. “All non-commercial visitor passes have been suspended until further notice to allow the installation to focus entirely on emergency response operations,” Edwards Air Force Base wrote on X.Photos from the scene showed a plume of smoke rising near the wreckage.”Please join me in praying for the B-52 crew at Edwards Air Force Base and the entire Edwards community,” Rep. Vince Fong wrote on X.Edwards Air Force Base, California, and Air Force Pentagon headquarters referred questions to the initial announcement of the crash and declined to provide additional details.The B-52 typically operates with a crew of five, including two pilots, a radar navigator, navigator and electronic warfare officer. The status of those on board was not immediately known.TWO NAVY JETS CRASH MIDAIR AS CREW SUCCESSFULLY EJECTS DURING IDAHO MILITARY BASE AIR SHOWThe aircraft is one of 76 B-52s remaining in the Air Force inventory. The fleet is expected to remain in service for decades as the Air Force pursues extensive modernization upgrades.The nuclear-capable bomber first entered service in the 1950s and remains a central component of the U.S. strategic bomber force.The last B-52 airframe lost in a crash was destroyed during a takeoff accident at Andersen Air Force Base in Guam in 2016.Edwards is the Air Force’s premier flight-test center, and B-52s stationed there are frequently used for developmental and modernization testing rather than routine operational missions.The crash comes as the Air Force is pursuing a sweeping modernization effort for the B-52 fleet, including new Rolls-Royce F130 engines, upgraded avionics and a new AN/APQ-188 radar intended to keep the bomber flying into the 2050s. WHAT B-52 BOMBERS BRING TO IRAN FIGHT — AND WHAT IT MEANS FOR THE WAR NOWIn January, the Air Force awarded Boeing a roughly $2 billion contract to modify and test two B-52s equipped with the new engines ahead of a planned fleetwide upgrade.Fox News Digital has asked whether the aircraft was involved in ongoing testing related to the B-52’s new engines or radar systems.