(BARKSDALE AIR BASE, La.) — The U.S. Strategic Command is using 50-year-old B-52H Stratofortress planes to monitor suspicious ships, National Defense magazine reported. The Department of Homeland Security wants to track vessels as far away as 2,000 miles from the U.S., beyond the current range of the automated identification system. The Government Accountability Office has warned that the creation of redundant maritime tracking systems may waste taxpayers’ money.
