Airmen at Minot AFB, N.D., celebrated Aug. 19 the 50th anniversary of the arrival of the first B-52H Stratofortress at the base. In honor of BUFF’s half century of service, a B-52 named the “Peace Persuader,” was painted with nostalgic nose art. The Minot Air Force Base Color Guard presented the colors during the ceremony and 1st Lt. Daniel Welche, 23rd Bomb Squadron copilot and a third-generation B-52 crew member, was the keynote speaker during the event. (Minot release)
While U.S. defense officials have spent much of the past decade warning that China is the nation’s pacing threat and its People’s Liberation Army represents an urgent threat in the Indo-Pacific, several defense researchers are skeptical that the PLA has the human capital, the structural ability, or the political appetite…