Air Force Crews Start First Transatlantic Crossing by Helicopter

July 15, 1952

Two Air Force crews—Capts. Vincent McGovern and Harry C. Jeffers and Capt. George O. Hembrick and Lt. Harold Moore—flying two Sikorsky H-19 helicopters named Hopalong and Whirl o Way, begin the first crossing of the Atlantic by helicopter. The crews fly from Westover AFB, Mass., to Prestwick, Scotland, in five stages, covering 3,535 miles in 42 hours and 25 minutes of flight time.

Snakes, Sharks, and Ghosts: Space Force Reveals Themes for Naming Platforms

Dec. 11, 2025

In a move to better connect Guardians with the space systems they operate, the Space Force on Dec. 11 revealed a new naming scheme for its platforms.

NORTHCOM Boss: No Plans for Military Training Grounds in US Cities

Dec. 11, 2025

Air Force Gen. Gregory M. Guillot, head of U.S. Northern Command, told lawmakers that NORTHCOM has no plans to use U.S. cities as “training grounds” as President Donald Trump recently suggested to a room full of his top military leaders.

B-52s, Japanese Fighters Fly Together After China and Russia Fly Bomber Patrol

Dec. 11, 2025

Two U.S. Air Force B-52 Stratofortress bombers flew with Japanese fighters over the Sea of Japan after a string of Chinese provocations toward Japan—including a joint bomber patrol with Russia—in response to Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s comments about Taiwan.

Air Force to Take Back on Looking Glass Mission for Nuclear C3

Dec. 11, 2025

More than a quarter-century after handing over the mission to the Navy, the Air Force is taking the first steps towards taking back over a critical nuclear command, control, and communications function.

USSF to Keep Implementing Space-Focused Elements of Re-Optimization

Dec. 11, 2025

Weeks after senior Air Force leaders revealed the service would shed a number of the re-optimization initiatives pursued by their predecessors, Chief of Space Operations Gen. Chance Saltzman confirmed the Space Force is retaining all of the space-specific elements of the strategy.

Air Force Leaders, Lawmakers Move to Increase Training in the Pacific

Dec. 10, 2025

The Air Force plans to conduct more intensive training—and Congress is set to help by boosting funding for exercises and so-called “campaigning” by hundreds of millions of dollars, particularly in the Pacific.

Pentagon Orders Thousands of Laser-Guided Rockets for $322 Million

Dec. 10, 2025

BAE Systems has received a contract worth $1.7 billion to produce laser-guidance kits for the 2.75-inch rockets the Air Force relies on for a wide range of combat missions.

Lawmakers Push Funding Boost for Space Force Data Transport and Polar Missile Warning

Dec. 10, 2025

The final version of the fiscal 2026 defense policy bill calls for adding $1.2 billion to the Space Force’s research and development accounts, an increase that’s mostly split between two efforts: expanding the service’s low-Earth orbit data transport network and boosting its space-based missile warning and tracking capabilities.

Australian MQ-28 CCA Downs Drone in Milestone Air-to-Air Test

Dec. 9, 2025

A semi-autonomous Collaborative Combat Aircraft drone shot down an air-to-air target in a Dec. 8 test supported by the U.S. Air Force, a notable milestone in the development of the loyal wingman-type drones that will join the fleets of the USAF, other American services, and allies and adversaries.

Air Force Crews Start First Transatlantic Crossing by Helicopter

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