Capt. James G. Gallagher and a 13-man crew take off from Carswell Air Force Base, Texas, in Lucky Lady II, a Strategic Air Command B-50A. They land 94 hours and one minute later, having completed the first nonstop flight around the world. The 23,452-mile flight requires four midair refuelings and demonstrates that distance and geographical barriers no longer offer sanctuary from airpower.
The Pentagon announced new long-term agreements with four defense companies May 13 to develop and produce large numbers of low-cost cruise missiles. And while the effort will focus mostly on the Army to start, it pairs with Air Force efforts to find more affordable munitions.