The Syrian airfield prepare for reception of military aircraft of China
The latest news about fast emergence in borders of Syria of navy of China encouraged Syrians and res[...]
2000
MARCH 2 In Mozambique, Operation
atlas response commences as Air Mobility Command (AMC) transports deliver humanitarian relief supplies from bases in Europe.
May 3 In Europe, General Joseph W.
Ralston gains appointment as the supreme allied commander of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO); he is the first Air Force officer in 37 years to hold that position.
May 8 At Cape Canaveral, Florida, a
Titan IVB rocket hurls a Defense support Program (DsP) satellite into orbit. These function as early warning missile launching detection systems with global coverage.
May 23 At Randolph Air Force Base, Texas, the first production T-6A Texan II turboprop trainer deploys; it will replace the Cessna T-37 and Beech T-34 as a primary pilot training aircraft.
July 15 At Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri, the final production B-2 spirit bomber arrives for service. The Air Force will not add new heavy bombers to its inventory until 2035.
July 25 At Fort Worth, Texas, Bell Textron rolls out the Air Force CV-22 Osprey tilt rotor aircraft, which is modified for special operations.
SEPTEMBER 18 At Edwards Air Force Base, California, the first Air Force CV – 22 Osprey arrives for testing. This hybrid design lifts off and lands like a helicopter, but flies like a regular airplane.
September 27 At St. Louis, Missouri, the Boeing XB-45A unmanned air combat vehicle is unveiled to the public for the first time.
OCTOBER 15 At Norfolk, Virginia, aircraft from the 75th Airlift Squadron and the 86th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron fly 28 victims of the Cole bombing from Yemen, a 6,000-mile trip; they receive a Mackay Trophy.
OCTOBER 24 At Palmdale, California, the new Lockheed Martin XF-35A Joint Strike Fighter, the world’s most advanced warplane, performs its maiden flight by flying to Edwards Air Force Base for testing.
OCTOBER 27 In Tampa, Florida, General Charles R. Holland gains appointment as commander of the U. S. Special Operations Command; he is the first Air Force officer to hold this post.
NOVEMBER 22 At Edwards Air Force Base, California, Lieutenant Colonel Paul
Smith flies the XF-35A Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) at supersonic speeds to
34,0 feet for the first time. This craft is then returned to the factory at Palmdale to begin conversion into the XF-35B short takeoff and landing (STOL) version.