Members of the 33rd Fighter Wing at Eglin AFB, Fla., last week surpassed 100 sorties in the Air Force’s F-35A strike fighter variant since beginning flight operations there in March. The wing, which runs Eglin’s joint F-35 schoolhouse, reached the milestone on Aug. 16 during a two-ship training mission, said unit officials. Air Force and Marine Corps pilots are now flying morning and afternoon sorties every day, depending on the weather, they said. In all, the wing has completed almost 200 total sorties with its F-35As and Marine Corps F-35Bs. In mid July, the wing surpassed 100 total sorties.
Advancements in commercial space technology could make President Donald Trump’s proposed “Golden Dome” missile defense network far more likely to succeed than the failed “Star Wars” strategic umbrella initiative of the 1980s, U.S. Space Command’s top general said May 22....