Maj. Gen. Oscar Westover, the Chief of the Army Air Corps, is forced to terminate the AAC’s lighter-than-air balloon program because Congress did not provide sufficient funding. Three weeks later, the Navy agrees to accept the transfer of the Air Corps’ lighter-than-air assets.
Iran War Highlights the Value of Unmanned Aircraft
April 20, 2026
Combat video from MQ-9 Reaper remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) striking targets in Iran may have surprised those who thought the iconic unmanned aircraft were destined for retirement now that the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are behind us. The Reapers are neither stealthy nor fast and therefore seen as unsurvivable against adversaries with sophisticated air defense systems....
