Air Combat Command declares initial operational capability with the RQ-4 Global Hawk Block 30 unmanned aerial vehicle. (A Northrop Grumman official on Aug. 16 announces that a Block 30 Global Hawk led the opening air strikes during Operation Odyssey Dawn in Libya.)
The Air Force is spending heavily on F-22 improvements through the end of the decade, suggesting it may not retire the jet in 2030 as it previously planned. New sensors, fuel tanks, communications, and electronic warfare systems are among the upgrades that comprise the package.