The Pentagon on Monday named the Navy SEAL who was killed on Jan. 28 in a raid against al-Qaeda forces in Yemen. Chief Petty Officer William “Ryan” Owens, 36, was assigned to an East Coast-based Special Warfare unit, according to the Pentagon announcement. “Ryan gave his full measure for our nation, and in performing his duty, he upheld the noblest standard of military service,” said Defense Secretary James Mattis. “The United States would not long exist were it not for the selfless commitment of such warriors.”
The Air Force awarded a $13.08 billion contract to the Sierra Nevada Corporation on April 26 for its Survivable Airborne Operations Center aircraft, the successor to the service’s E-4B “Doomsday” plane. Like the E-4B, officially called the National Airborne Operations Center, the SAOC will be meant to withstand a nuclear attack and keep…