USAF Helicopters Complete First Trans-Pacific Flight

Aug. 24, 1970

Two Air Force crews complete the first trans-Pacific helicopter flight as they land their Sikorsky HH-53Cs at Da Nang Air Base, South Vietnam, after a 9,000-mile flight from Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. The helicopters were refueled in flight.

Related

AFRICOM to Test Autonomous Cessna for Casualty Evacuation in December

Nov. 12, 2026
U.S. Africa Command will soon see if a small, autonomous aircraft can evacuate casualties from austere locations during a demonstration planned for December in Morocco. Merlin, an autonomous aviation firm, announced Nov. 11 it has received a $500,000 contract from AFRICOM for the demo mission.

Desert Storm Memorial Misses Its Target

Nov. 12, 2026
The time has come to honor the men and women who fought in Operation Desert Storm with a memorial in Washington, D.C. the approved design is an ode to the final stage of that conflict, the last 100 hours of a 1,000-hour fight. And while artfully executed, this landscaped left…

With $1.5 Trillion Defense Bill Unlikely, Congress Weighs Options

Nov. 10, 2026
As Congress gets back to business after the midterm elections, uncertainty swirls over the state of government funding that runs out Dec. 11, especially for the Pentagon. New reports from leading defense think tank experts illustrate just how wide the range of outcomes could be.

After Midterms, Congress Returns to Reckon with Defense Funding, NDAA

Nov. 9, 2026
Following a historic win for Democrats in the midterm elections, Congress returned to Washington, D.C., Nov. 9. Between now and Jan. 3, 2027, when the midterm winners are sworn in, lawmakers are staring down major unfinished business, including defense legislation stalled for months leading up to the election.