Britain will permit the US to use an air force base at Menwith Hill in North Yorkshire as a site for missile defense shield elements. British Defense Minister Des Browne said Menwith Hill would be equipped with communications equipment and that this arrangement is “a building block to enhance our national and collective security,” according to Associated Press.
The Air Force has embraced new technical approaches like open mission systems and rapid software updates for cutting-edge aircraft like the B-21 and Collaborative Combat Aircraft. Increasingly, though, the service is also working to apply these to its older, “legacy” aircraft, officials said this week.