![]() “To solve this, LSUS designed and 3D-printed a custom jig to hold and center the brake pads for drilling. “They would often miss the exact center and have to start over, which wasted a lot of time and materials,” Mathers said. ![]() As they were doing it manually and by eye, it was a difficult and even “dreaded” job, according to Mathers. For example, it takes a lot of power to stop an eight-engine, 488,000-pound jet loaded with weapons and equipment, and Barksdale Airmen were spending significant time drilling out carbon fiber brake pads for every B-52 in the country. They’re expected to remain in service until 2050, but maintenance can be a challenge. The B-52s in use today were all built between 19 and are mainly housed at either Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana or Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota. It began as an intercontinental, high-altitude nuclear carrier during the Cold War, and was later modified for low-level flight, conventional bombing, and transport. When the B-52 was first introduced, it was America’s hallmark heavy bomber. “Working with the LSUS Cyber Collaboratory has paid huge dividends for us.” “Instead of buying our own equipment, maintaining it, and keeping people trained to use it to help solve some of these critical challenges, it’s better for us to go to the people who are experts and partner with them,” Mathers said. Several recent LSUS-STRIKEWERX collaborations concern maintenance and training for B-52 bombers, several of which are stationed at Barksdale Air Force Base in Shreveport. Recent projects include maintenance of the now 60-year-old B-52 Stratofortress bomber planes, several of which are stationed at Barksdale, as well as maintenance of the 450 underground silos that are the launch facilities for the nation’s intercontinental ballistic missiles, or ICBMs. ![]() STRIKEWERX frequently organizes what they call “design sprints” to help solve problems for the U.S. “From hardware, advanced modeling, and 3D printing to software and simulation, the Cyber Collaboratory has great capabilities, and we love to get them involved in projects that benefit our Airmen and, ultimately, our national security.” “We could have built our own maker space, but instead, we chose to collaborate with LSUS,” said Russ Mathers, director of STRIKEWERX. Air Force Global Strike Command, LSU Shreveport’s Cyber Collaboratory has become a key provider of expertise and innovative solutions for nearby Barksdale Air Force Base and the nation’s air defense. Through sustained collaboration with STRIKEWERX, the innovation hub of the U.S. Air Force and Barksdale Air Force Base through technology- LSU Shreveport’s Cyber Collaboratory Sparks Innovation and Military “Change in Mindset” It does not store any personal data.Supporting the U.S. The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly.
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