NASA pilot John Manke makes the first landing of a lifting body aircraft on a conventional concrete runway (versus one of packed sand) when he brings the Martin Marietta X-24B in on the main runway at Edwards AFB, Calif. Lt. Col. Mike Love repeats this feat on Aug. 20.
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.