Operation Deliberate Force Begins, First Operational Use of Predator

Aug. 30, 1995

U.S. Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps aircraft lead Operation Deliberate Force, a NATO bombing campaign responding to Bosnian Serb mortar attacks that killed 38 civilians at an outdoor market in Sarajevo. The operation ends Sept. 14, 1995. It is the first operational use of the Predator RPA, at that time an Advanced Concept Technology Demonstration (ACTD) program led by the Army (USAF takes over in 1996).

Related

Space Force Plans $905 Million for Maneuverable GEO Program

Oct. 23, 2025
The Space Force expects to award $905 million in contracts over the next five years through a new Maneuverable GEO program, which aims to form a commercial fleet of mobile communication satellites in geosynchronous orbit.  

New Report: Air Force Can’t Afford ‘Runaway’ R&D, Needs More Aircraft

Oct. 23, 2025
For more than a decade, the Pentagon have steadily invested more and more of its budget in research and development compared to procurement—resulting in a “smaller, older, and less capable force than it needs,” according to a new analysis from the Center for a New American Security think tank.