Construction of a new building at the National Museum of the US Air Force at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, could begin in 2012 if fundraising stays on track, reports the Dayton Daily News. The 200,000-square-foot building would be home to the museum’s seven former Presidential aircraft and possibly a retired space shuttle. The Air Force Museum Foundation has already raised $18.6 million of the $25 million goal to cover the costs of constructing the basic building. The foundation estimates that it would need an additional $17 million to configure the building for public viewing and to cover the costs of parking lots, sidewalks, and landscaping, according to the newspaper.
The U.S. began extensive air and artillery strikes against Islamic State group targets in Syria on Dec. 19 in retaliation for the killing of three Americans on Dec. 13 by a gunman affiliated with ISIS, U.S. officials said.
