Aircrews operating the Air Force’s new C-17 airlifter continue to sing its praises, even old-time C-130 drivers. Air Force Reservist and former C-130 pilot Maj. Bob Hagstrom, with the 732nd Airlift Squadron at McGuire AFB, N.J., spent three weeks flying the C-17 into austere—read that dirt, rocks, and sand—airstrips in Afghanistan. He called the C-17 an “enormous aircraft compared to the C-130,” and added, “It was awesome to see the aircraft’s maneuverability and capability in this environment.”
NATO Scrambles Fighter in Newest Response to Russian Drones
Sept. 16, 2025
NATO scrambled its first fighter Sept. 13 under its new plan to bolster its defenses against Russian air incursions that was put into place after an array of Russian drones flew into Polish airspace last week, the officials from the alliance’s military command said.
