The Heavy Airlift Wing at Papa AB, Hungary, celebrated three years of operations. The wing has racked up more than 7,500 flight hours in about 500 missions with its three C-17s since its activation on July 27, 2009, according to US Air Forces in Europe’s July 30 release. It has moved massive amounts of cargo and some 27,000 passengers during that time. “This wing has flown relief missions to Haiti for earthquake relief and combat missions to Afghanistan,” said USAF Col. Keith Boone, wing commander. “We are proud of what we have accomplished in a short period of time.” Jointly operating the three C-17s are airmen from NATO members Bulgaria, Estonia, Hungary, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Slovenia, and the United States, and from NATO Partnership-for-Peace nations Finland and Sweden. The teaming arrangement gives the US partners access to strategic airlifters that they would not be able to afford to operate on their own. (Papa report by Gabe Myers)
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…