Airmen gather to mark the retirement of the last five MC-130E Combat Talon I aircraft during a ceremony at Duke Field, Fla. The Combat Talon I flew its first combat mission in 1966 and participated in all major U.S. conflicts up until its retirement.
A top Pentagon tech official called on industry this week to help the military develop “lighter, more efficient” directed energy weapons designed to go on aircraft and conduct special operations missions or down drones—areas where the Air Force’s directed energy efforts have been quiet as of late.