Dover AFB, Del., recently joined the list of Air Force installations to receive a new $20 million radar system capable of detecting both aircraft and weather as far as 120 miles away. The Digital Airport Surveillance Radar replaces the analog system formerly used by Dover’s air traffic controllers. DASR covers airspace from the surface up to a maximum ceiling of more than 35,000 feet. It has a target-detection rate of 98 percent. “From a maintenance technician standpoint, the DASR is a miracle,” said SrA. David Arceneaux, 436th Communications Squadron assistant noncommissioned officer-in-charge of ground radar systems. “Its enhanced capabilities ensure optimal runtime and while we still perform preventative maintenance, the reliability of this machine far exceeds the old analog unit.” (Dover report by SrA. Matthew Hubby)
B-52 Stratofortress bombers marked a new first in Operation Epic Fury when some of the BUFFs flew over Iran carrying JDAM-guided gravity bombs, according to people familiar with the matter. The development signals a weakening of Iranian air defenses and a new use for the venerable bomber in the nearly…