The 51-year-old B-52H needs a new radar, and Global Strike Command chief Lt. Gen. Stephen Wilson said Thursday he would be quite satisfied having the AN/APG-81, which equips the F-35 fighter, installed on the bomber. Speaking with reporters after Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies event in Arlington, Va., Wilson said the F-35 radar would be an “80 percent solution” to what the B-52 needs, but offers big operating cost benefits: by buying the AN/APG-81, the Air Force could increase the production run and further reduce unit costs on the radar. Also, as with potential re-engining of the B-52, Wilson said the radar would sharply reduce maintenance costs on the bomber, thus defraying the cost of the new capability. The longer the B-52 serves, the more savings would accrue, he said. The precedent for both upgrades is the KC-135 re-engining and digital upgrade, which has saved money and vastly extended the KC-135’s service life, he said.
When acting Air Force Secretary Gary A. Ashworth rescinded service-wide “Family Days” last week citing the need to build readiness, he left it up to commanders, directors, and supervisors to decide if they would still permit extra days off. Here’s how Air Force major commands are taking that guidance.