Air Force Reserve Command Hurricane Hunters tracking Tropical Storm Ernesto actually flew into Cuban airspace—many times and with Cuba’s permission, reports the Miami Herald. Actually, the newspaper says that it is not the first time. The National Hurricane Center arranged with the State Department for the specially configured C-130s of AFRC’s 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron, which now flies the new WC-130J, to fly through Cuban airspace three years ago.
U.S. Northern Command and multiple research organizations just wrapped up a joint, three-year experiment to test new radar technology that could enable the Northern Warning System to detect incoming threats at longer ranges across Alaska and northern Canada.