2002

JANUARY 11 At Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, a C-17 Globemaster III deposits the first of 371 Taliban and al-Qaeda detainees.

JANUARY 21 In Iraq, after Iraqi antiaircraft

weapons fire at coalition aircraft participat­ing in Operation southern watch, Ameri­can and British jets retaliate with strikes against weapons emplacements at Tallil.

FEBRUARY 4 Over Afghanistan, an MQ – 1B Predator unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) fires a Hellfire missile at a group of senior al-Qaeda figures on the ground, killing them; this is also the first combat engagement by an UAV.

MARCH 1 At McGuire Air Force Base, New Jersey, Brigadier General Teresa M. Peterson assumes control of the 305th Air Mobility Wing, becoming the first active female duty officer to com­mand an operational flying wing.

Over Eastern Afghanistan, Operation ANACONDA commences as Air Force B – 52s, B-1Bs, AC-130s, A-10s, and F-15s support ground units attacking Muslim extremists near Gardez. Precision-guided weapons keep civilian casualties to a min­imum while thermobaric bombs are dropped in caves, killing by depriving them of oxygen.

MARCH 2—10 In Afghanistan, an AC – 130 Spectre gunship relieves a detach­ment of the 10th Mountain Division sur­rounded by enemy fighters. HH-60 Blackhawk helicopters then rescue them in rough terrain; the AC-130 crew wins a Mackay Trophy.

MARCH 4 Near Gardez, eastern Afghani­stan, a helicopter assault on enemy troops results in the first Air Force combat losses during Operation enduring freedom. Sergeant John Chapman receives a post­humous Air Force Cross for charging a Taliban gun emplacement, killing several enemy combatants.

April 18 At Hanscom Air Force Base, Massachusetts, the experimental MC2A – X flies for the first time. This vehicle will provide electronic command and control functions over combat areas.

South of Kandahar, Afghanistan, an American warplane accidently kills four Canadian soldiers and wounds eight others in an errant bomb drop.

April 19 The Air Force Space Com­mand is formally elevated to a four-star Air Force Command; previously, it was led by the four-star general commanding the U. S. Space Command and NORAD.

April 22 The Air Force promulgates a new organizational scheme for wings, basing them around four groups: opera­tions, maintenance, mission support, and medical.

May 22 At Edwards Air Force Base, California, the X-45A unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) flies for the first time. This vehicle, while stealthy and capable, is terminated in 2006.

July 22 At McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas, the prototype YAL-1A, or
“Airborne Laser,” flies for the first time. This weapon system employs concen­trated light beams to destroy enemy ICBMs while they are launching into the atmosphere (boost phase).

July 30 A Scramjet engine (air-breath­ing supersonic combustion engine) is successfully ignited at high altitude for the first time. Such futuristic technology has potential for revolutionizing air transporta­tion.

AUGUST 21 At Cape Canaveral, Florida, the Lockheed Martin Atlas V launches for the first time. This is part of the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle program, consisting ofa main rocket with as many strap-on boosters added as neces­sary for very heavy payloads.

OCTOBER 1 General Ralph Eberhart assumes command of the U. S. Northern Command. This organization monitors and guards the military security of North America, and consists of elements from all four U. S. armed services.

General John P. Jumper orders the Peacekeeper (MX) ICBM system deacti­vated. This is the largest and most capable nuclear missile deployed by the United States during the Cold War.

November 17—18 In Iraq, antiair­craft batteries fire on coalition aircraft patrolling the northern no-fly zone; the warplanes retaliate by dropping precision-guided munitions. This action coincides with a UN resolution authoriz­ing strong actions against Iraqi transgres­sions.

December 8 At Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, the Air Mobility Command (AMC) directs several C-5 Galaxies to bring 1,200 tons of relief supplies to sur­vivors of Typhoon Pongsona.