Retired Lt. Col. Robert L. Riedenauer, who flew development aircraft such as the SR-71 and U-2 while in the Air Force and later, as a Lockheed Martin test pilot, the F-117 stealth fighter, died at age 70 on April 23 at his home in Palmdale, Calif. The Associated Press reports he had fought a long battle with cancer. The City of Lancaster, Calif., inducted Riedenauer into its Aerospace Walk of Fame in 2002.
Less than a day after arriving in the Middle East, F-15E Strike Eagles from Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, N.C. defended Israel from an Iranian attack in April 2024. DUDE flight, four F-15Es from the 335th Fighter Squadron, downed two dozen Iranian drones in roughly 45 minutes.