U.S. and coalition partners launch Operation Anaconda, part of Operation Enduring Freedom, in eastern Afghanistan. USAF A-10s, AC-130s, B-1Bs, B-52s, and F-15s support Anaconda to stop Taliban and al-Qaeda forces regrouping south of Gardez. USAF aircraft drop laser-guided thermobaric bombs, designed to suck out all the air from cave complexes and kill the enemy inside.
Senior U.S. military officials involved in restructuring the troubled LGM-35A Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile program now project confidence that it will achieve operational capability in the early 2030s.
