Rockwell pilot Ken Dyson makes the first flight of the Rockwell/MBB X-31A Enhanced Fighter Maneuverability (EFM) demonstrator at Air Force Plant 42 in Palmdale, Calif. The flight lasts 38 minutes.
The U.S. began extensive air and artillery strikes against Islamic State group targets in Syria on Dec. 19 in retaliation for the killing of three Americans on Dec. 13 by a gunman affiliated with ISIS, U.S. officials said.

