Two Dyess AFB, Tex.-based B-1B crews complete a 36 hour, 13 minute, 36 second, 20,100-mile nonstop round the world flight. This global power mission, called Coronet Bat, requires six air refuelings and incorporates bombing runs over the Pachino Range, Italy; the Torishima Range near Kadena AB, Japan; and the Utah Test and Training Range. The crews receive the 1995 Mackay Trophy. One of the crews, commanded by Lt. Col. Douglas Raaberg, sets a recognized speed record for average eastbound speed around the world (with air refueling) of 631.16 mph on the flight.
The Chinese spy balloon may have popped, but funding to protect against similar threats is inflating, according to the Department of Defense. The high-attitude surveillance balloon that traversed the U.S. in late January and early February prompted last-minute additions to the Pentagon's budget of around $90 million for measures to…