Army Air Service Brig. Gen. Billy Mitchell helps to lead a series of tests off the mouth of Chesapeake Bay, with Army crews from the First Provisional Air Brigade, at Langley Field, Va., flying Martin MB-2 bombers, and bombing ships to demonstrate the importance of airpower. The former German destroyer G-102 is sunk in 19 minutes on July 13, a prelude to the sinking of the captured German battleship Ostfriesland on July 21.
The Air Force has embraced new technical approaches like open mission systems and rapid software updates for cutting-edge aircraft like the B-21 and Collaborative Combat Aircraft. Increasingly, though, the service is also working to apply these to its older, “legacy” aircraft, officials said this week.