Army Air Forces 2nd Lt. John E. McLauchlen Jr. was killed during a World War II bombing mission in Southeast Asia. A new squadron at Beale AFB, California, will handle the battle management data collected by manned aircraft, drones and other military systems. The percentage of master sergeants picked to advance is rebounding from its most recent low in 2021, when the E-8 selection rate fell below 7%. The Air Force’s E-7 will be modified to meet U.S. satellite communication, military GPS and cybersecurity and program protection requirements. "You just can't do this stuff in a simulated environment," Boeing's Scott Belanger said of the Autonomous Aircraft Inspection initiative. The latest figure is 2.2 percentage points higher than last year’s selection rate, and 4.3 percentage points higher than the recent low of 18.2% in 2021. The first field-ready MH-139 is in final assembly, and is slated to be delivered in 2024. With the Air Force planning to retire the AWACS and replace the B-52's current engines, the contract could last for the remainder of the TF33's life. The jets have amassed more than 141,000 hours in combat since Operation Desert Storm in 1991. JetZero and Northrop Grumman will ready a full-scale prototype for its first flight in 2027. Load More