The A-10 Thunderbolt II has served the US Air Force for nearly half a century. While the service had wanted to retire all its A-10s, the Senate has saved some from the chopping block.

The SR-72 “Darkstar,” the hypersonic successor to the SR-71 Blackbird, is being envisioned not just as a spy plane but also as a bomber, a role its famous predecessor never fulfilled. -While the SR-71 ...