The first RQ-4 Global Hawk outfitted with the battlefield airborne command node (BACN) to serve as an aerial communications relay platform makes its maiden flight, flying from Northrop Grumman’s Palmdale, Calif., facility to Edwards AFB, Calif.
The Air Force is now expecting delivery of the first VC-25B presidential transport by mid-2028, months ahead of its last official projection, a service spokesperson said this week. USAF also announced it is buying two used Boeing 747-8 jetliners for training and spare parts to be delivered in 2026, calling the $400 million deal part of its “acceleration efforts” for the oft-delayed presidential airlift program.
