The in-flight depressurization of a Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 over Arizona earlier this month prompted the Air Force to inspect its C-40B executive transports assigned to the 89th Airlift Wing at Andrews AFB, Md. The inspectors found these aircraft, based on the 737, to be in excellent condition, reported CNN. The C-40Bs are significantly newer than the 737-300 model involved in the Southwest incident, according to CNN. Stress fatigue from repeated pressurization caused a 737’s fuselage joint to fail, tearing a five-foot gap in the aircraft’s skin and necessitating an emergency landing at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma in Arizona on April 1.
Since President Donald Trump first unveiled his “Golden Dome” missile defense initiative in late January, much of the focus for it has been focused on space—how the Pentagon may deploy dozens, if not hundreds, of sensors and interceptors into orbit to protect the continental U.S. from missile barrages. But the Air…