The B-52 is getting up there (last one rolled off the line in 1962), but USAF has an ongoing effort to keep the BUFF at the top of its form, including adding upgraded avionics. The Air Force has awarded a $28 million contract modification to Lockheed Martin for the B-52 avionics midlife improvement program. Lockheed is to complete the work at the Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center, Tinker AFB, Okla. The Air Force expects to keep the veteran bomber in service until around 2040. (Read about AMI here.)
The Air Force is moving forward with a new, algorithm-driven system to help U.S. Northern Command better detect airborne threats. NORTHCOM and the North American Aerospace Defense Command, which are tasked with protecting the homeland from attack, depend on a slew of radars and other data systems to monitor U.S.…