Two B-52Hs left Barksdale AFB, La., Feb. 1 on a global power training mission called Operation Coronet Dragon that will bring them to Andersen AFB, Guam, and back. On the initial leg of the journey, the two bombers, assigned to Barksdale’s 2nd Bomb Wing, flew nonstop via multiple aerial refuelings across the Atlantic Ocean, over the Mediterranean Sea and into the Middle East region en route to an air base in the Indian Ocean. From there, they planned to fly to Andersen and then start the trip back home. Coronet Dragon is designed to test the ability of the Air Force’s bomber fleet to launch from stateside bases, fly nonstop through multiple geographic theaters, conduct precision strikes on enemy targets via simulated attacks, and safely recover at various locations around the world. (AFCENT release)
Bell Textron has won DARPA's contest for a no-runway, high-speed drone that will prove out technologies useful for special operations forces and possibly the Air Force's Agile Combat Employment concept. Bell's design converts a tiltrotor to a jet-powered aircraft able to fly at up to 450 knots.