Airmen 
with the 58th Airlift Squadron at Altus AFB, Okla., in mid-June transported four Navy mine-hunting dolphins back home from Norfolk, Va. to Naval Base Point Loma in San Diego aboard one of Altus’ C-17s. The four bottlenose dolphins were in Norfolk to assist in underwater mine clearance activities during the US military’s annual Frontier Sentinel training exercise. For the trip home, the dolphins were housed in specially designed cradles and special care was taken to ensure that their flight was as comfortable as possible. For example, “We took off from Norfolk and we used the whole runway for a nice, slow rolling takeoff,” said Capt. Jud Baker, one of the pilots. The dolphins’ handlers, trainers, and veterinary staff were also present. (Altus report by TSgt. Jennifer Seidl)
U.S. Northern Command and multiple research organizations just wrapped up a joint, three-year experiment to test new radar technology that could enable the Northern Warning System to detect incoming threats at longer ranges across Alaska and northern Canada.