Maj. Gen. Robert Rego, front left, Air Force Global Strike Command vice commander, Maj. Gen. Scott Vander Hamm, center, 8th Air Force commander, and Col. Andrew Gebara, 2nd Bomb Wing commander, listen to the opening remarks for the Combat Network Communications Technology ceremony on the flightline at Barksdale Air Force Base, La., April 25, 2014. The CONECT system will eventually be installed in the entire fleet of B-52H Stratofortress. The new system allows aircrew to receive last-minute updates so they are able to strike the most current or necessary targets rapidly. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Joseph A. Pagán Jr.)
Maj. Gen. Scott Vander Hamm, 8th Air Force commander, talks to Team Barksdale members during a ceremony honoring the Combat Network Communications Technology system recently completed on a B-52H Stratofortress at Barksdale Air Force Base, La., April 25, 2014. The B-52 has been in maintenance since July 2013 and the new CONECT upgrade essentially changed the aircraft from a rotary-dial phone to a smartphone, allowing pilots to receive machine-to-machine retargeting, rather than having the crew and mission dependent solely upon information available at take-off. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Joseph A. Pagán Jr.)
Team Barksdale members attend a ceremony in recognition of a B-52H Stratofortress returning from Tinker Air Force Base, Okla., on the flightline at Barksdale Air Force Base, La., April 25, 2014. The B-52 is the first of its kind to receive a new Combat Network Communications Technology system, complete with state of the art displays, servers and communications uplinks. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Joseph A. Pagán Jr.)