ENCYCLOPEDIA OF Espionage, Intelligence, and Security Volume ...

B-52ELECTRONIC:Air Force Technology, B-2. (April 8, 2003).SEE ALSOF-117A Stealth FighterSkunk WorksSR-71 BlackbirdB-52The Boeing B-52 Stratofortress is a bomber made formissions of extraordinarily long range. During the PersianGulf War in 1991, it flew the longest strike mission inhistory, taking off from Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana,flying to Iraq and launching its cruise missiles, thenreturning to Barksdale 35 hours after it left—all withoutstopping. B-52s flew numerous sorties against a variety oftargets during Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003. First deployedin February 1955, the B-52 has proven its enduranceover the years, and is expected to remain in service tothe middle of the twenty-first century.Over a period of eight years that ended in October1962, a total of 744 B-52s were built and delivered. Theonly models remaining in service are B-52Hs, which areassigned to Air Force Air Combat Command and the AirForce Reserves. The H model, of which 102 were built, ismade to carry as many as 20 air-launched cruise missiles.Over the years, the B-52 has been modified to incorporateever more advanced weaponry, as well as globalpositioning and electro-optical viewing systems. Heavystores adapter make it possible to carry munitions ofenormous weight. The aircraft weights 185,000 pounds(83,250 kg) empty, and can take off with a weight of488,000 pounds (219,600 kg). It can travel 8,800 miles(14,080 km) without refueling, and aerial refueling gives ita range limited only by the needs of the mission and thecrew. Its ceiling is 50,000 feet (15,151.5 m).The same plane that bombed North Vietnam remainedin service to bomb Iraq over a quarter-century later. It wasalso used in Operation Allied Force, the North AtlanticTreaty Organization (NATO) campaign against Serbia in1999. Engineering analysis conducted at the end of thetwentieth century indicated that the B-52 could remain inservice past 2045—a full 90 years after its initial deployment.❚ FURTHER READING:BOOKS:Boyne, Walter J. Boeing B-52: A Documentary History.New York: Jane’s, 1982.Holder, William G. Boeing B-52 Stratofortress. Blue RidgeSummit, PA: AERO, 1988.Keaney, Thomas A. Strategic Bombers and ConventionalWeapons: Airpower Options. Washington, D.C.: NationalDefense University Press, 1984.Mandeles, Mark David. The Development of the B-52 andJet Propulsion: A Case Study in Organizational Innovation.Maxwell Air Force Base, AL: Air University Press,1998.ELECTRONIC:B-52 Stratofortress. Federation of American Scientists. (March 8, 2003).B-52 Stratofortress. U.S. Department of the Air Force. (March 8, 2003).SEE ALSOElectro-Optical IntelligenceGPSNight Vision ScopesPersian Gulf WarBacillus Anthracis.SEE Anthrax.Background Investigations, Non-Governmental.SEE Security Clearance Investigations.❚ BRIAN D. HOYLEBacterial BiologyAn understanding of the fundamentals of bacterial biologyis critical to bacteriologists and other forensic investigatorsattempting to identify potential biogenic pathogensthat may be exploited as agents in biological warfare or bybioterrorists.Fundamentals of Bacterial BiologyBacteria are one-celled prokaryotic organisms that lack atrue nucleus (i.e., a nucleus defined by a membrane).Bacteria maintain their genetic material, deoxyribonucleicacid (DNA), in a single, circular chain. Bacteria also containDNA in small circular molecules termed plasmids.The Dutch merchant and amateur scientist Anton vanLeeuwenhoek was the first to observe bacteria and other80 Encyclopedia of Espionage, Intelligence, and Security