A C-141 carrying Airlift Control Element lands in Dhahran, the first USAF aircraft into the crisis zone during Operation Desert Shield. F-15s from the 1st Tactical Fighter Wing, Langley AFB, Va., and elements of the 82nd Airborne Division, Ft. Bragg, N.C., arrive in Saudi Arabia. U.S. AWACS aircraft augment Saudi AWACS orbiting over Saudi Arabia.
The Air Force has embraced new technical approaches like open mission systems and rapid software updates for cutting-edge aircraft like the B-21 and Collaborative Combat Aircraft. Increasingly, though, the service is also working to apply these to its older, “legacy” aircraft, officials said this week.