The venerable B-52 bomber hit another milestone recently—the 50th anniversary of the combat ready declaration for the first B-52 wing. The Air Force on March 12, 1956, declared the 93rd Bombardment Wing, Barksdale AFB, La., combat ready. USAF had activated the new unit less than a year earlier, on June 29, 1955. USAF aircrews took the bomber into combat for the first time on June 18, 1965, during the Vietnam War.
The Sentinel Launch Support System, the digital backbone for testing the new intercontinental ballistic missile over its expected 50-year life, has completed critical design review, Northrop Grumman said Oct. 20.