Lockheed Martin announces the first flight of USAF’s MC-130J Combat Shadow II aircraft. The flight takes place from the company’s Marietta, Ga., production facility.
After years of experiments and tests, senior Air Force leaders say they're on the verge of using C-17s and other cargo aircraft to launch cruise missiles via airdrop, touting the development as a way to bolster the combat fleet and a major shift in the service’s mindset.