The Air Force said it successfully launched an Atlas V rocket into space March 13 from Vandenberg AFB, Calif. Onboard the space vehicle was a National Reconnaissance Office payload, according to Vandenberg’s release. The mission was the first Atlas V launch from Vandenberg; all previous Atlas V missions have been from Cape Canaveral, Fla. Col. Steve Tanous, commander of Vandenberg’s 30th Space Wing, praised the “hard work and dedication” of the airmen and industry partners involved in the launch.. “I am very proud of the teamwork that led to the successful and historic Atlas V mission,” he said. To make operating Atlas Vs from Vandenberg possible, the Air Force significantly modified the base’s Space Launch Complex-3, which used to accommodate Atlas II boosters.
An important U.S. Air Force E-3 Sentry AWACS command and control plane was among the aircraft damaged in a March 27 Iranian missile and drone attack on Prince Sultan Air Base, Saudi Arabia, people familiar with the matter told Air & Space Forces Magazine.