Venerable,valued Bombers

摘要

On the edge of the tarmac at Barksdale AFB, La., on an overcast November morning, Capt. Jonathan Ard pointed out the numbers just to the side of the nose art of a B-52H nicknamed Deuces Wild. The -0022 indicated the Air Force placed its order for the bomber in 1960, the year John F. Kennedy was elected President. Nearly 50 years old, the B-52s at Barksdale's 2nd Bomb Wing are remarkably resilient, capable of flying missions ranging from close air support to dropping nuclear bombs. The bomber can drop or launch the widest array of weapons in the US air inventory, wing officials point out, one of the many reasons the iconic bomber remains on duty for the foreseeable future.