The Arnold Engineering and Development Center in Tennessee plans to dedicate the F-15 on static display at its front gate to Maj. Jim Duricy, an F-15 test pilot killed in April 2002 when his fighter broke apart at Mach 2 while flying over the Gulf of Mexico. The F-15 Eagle on display at AEDC is from Duricy’s unit at Eglin AFB, Fla., the 46th Test Wing. (Read “When Aircraft Get Old” for more on the Duricy accident.)
The U.S. military is maintaining a beefed-up presence in the Middle East, including fighters and air defense assets, following the U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities June 22 and subsequent retaliation by the Iranians against Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar.
