Capt. Paul D. Howman (pilot) and 1st Lt. Lawrence W. Kullman (Weapon Systems Officer), flying in a McDonnell Douglas F-4D, record the last U.S. Air Force victory in the Vietnam War as they shoot down a MiG-21 near Hanoi. It was the duo’s only aerial victory and the second-to-last U.S. victory of the entire conflict—a U.S. Navy F-4B, crewed by Lt. Victor Kovaleski and Lt. Jim Wise, downed another MiG on Jan. 12.
The use of a military counter-drone laser on the southwest border this week—which prompted the Federal Aviation Administration to abruptly close the airspace over El Paso, Texas—will be a “case study” on the complex web of authorities needed to employ such weapons near civilian areas and the consequences of agencies…
