April 20, 1959

April 20, 1959
The prototype Lockheed UGM-27A Polaris sea-launched ballistic missile successfully flies a 500-mile trajectory in a Navy test. Three days later, the Air Force carries out the first flight test of the North American GAM-77 Hound Dog air-launched strategic missile at Eglin AFB, Fla.

Related Content

Details Murky as ARRW Falls Short in Second Test

March 24, 2023
The second all-up flight of the AGM-183A ARRW hypersonic missile apparently fell short of expectations, but the AIr Force isn't saying how, reporting only that the test met "several of the objectives" of the test. Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control recently said he company is "ready to go" to…

Get Weapons to Warfighters Faster, Lawmakers Tell DOD Acquisition Czar

March 24, 2023
Understanding requirements, funding, and proper acquisition must all work in tandem if the Department of Defense hopes to speed up the acquisition process, according to senior DOD officials. The slow speed and entrenched roadblocks to the process took center stage at a House Armed Services Committee Cyber, Information Technologies, and…

DAF Outlines a New ‘Battle Network’ as Its Contribution to JADC2

March 23, 2023
The Department of the Air Force has identified 50 programs that will make up the core of its contribution to the Pentagon’s joint all-domain command and control effort, branding them part of the “DAF Battle Network,” according to newly-released budget documents. The DAF Battle Network programs span multiple offices and agencies…

A-10s Headed to CENTCOM to Bolster Air Force Presence

March 23, 2023
As the Air Force’s broader focus shifts to the Pacific and Europe, the U.S. military will rely on aging close air support aircraft to meet the needs of its forces in the Middle East. A-10 Thunderbolt IIs will deploy to the region in April, a U.S. official told Air &…

The US Thinks China Is a ‘Near-Peer’ Threat. Does China Agree?

March 22, 2023
While U.S. military leaders worry about China as a near-peer threat, Chinese leader Xi Jinping has doubts has serious doubts about the PLA’s political reliability, leadership, and ability to mobilize, fight, and win wars, according to a new report.