The Air Force’s Thunderbirds air demonstration squadron on Wednesday announced its airshow schedule for 2010, its 57th season of performances. The first of 65 planned shows will kick off March 20-21 at Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz. In mid-June and mid-August, the team will perform in Quebec City and Abbotsford, Canada, respectively—the only appearances on the agenda next year outside of the US. The 2010 season will conclude with performances Nov. 13-14 at Nellis AFB, Nev., the unit’s home. The Thunderbirds concluded their 2009 schedule, which included a six-week tour of the Pacific Far East, in November.
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.…