Pilot Officer William R. “Wild Bill” Dunn, an American volunteer pilot flying a Hawker Hurricane with the Royal Air Force, is the first US citizen to become an ace when he records his fifth and sixth aerial victories (downing two Messerschmitt Bf-109Fs) over western Belgium. Dunn is flying with 71 Squadron, one of three RAF Eagle Squadrons that are composed of American volunteers.
In a “State of the Force” address Sept. 30, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth announced plans for a new four-star command to lead the military-wide push to field autonomous systems, one of several initiatives meant to further his sweeping transformation of the Pentagon.