Follow-Up: National Air and Space Museum Receives $1 Million General Atomics Gift as 'Modern Military Aviation' Gallery Opens

The Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum announced on November 12 that it has received a $1 million donation from General Atomics to support 'Modern Military Aviation,' the new exhibition that opened on November 11 in the museum's building in Washington, D.C.

The exhibition is the final gallery to open as part of the museum's decade-long renovation, and it explores how aviation has redefined military power, geopolitics and technological development from the outset of the Cold War to the present. 'We are grateful to General Atomics for this generous gift to support the new Modern Military Aviation exhibition,' said Michael Hankins, aeronautics curator at the museum, adding that leadership support enables the museum to leverage authentic artifact displays and tell the stories of aviators, innovators and policymakers.

The gallery is anchored by the museum's collection of military aviation artifacts from just after World War II to the present day, including the North American F-86F Sabre, the Bell UH-1H 'Huey' helicopter and the General Atomics MQ-1L Predator drone. According to the museum, the Predator on display was one of the first three unmanned aerial vehicles to fly operational missions over Afghanistan after September 11, 2001, and the first UAV to fire Hellfire missiles in combat. The gallery also includes a Predator ground control station and a media band encircling the space.

As previously reported, the gallery opened to the public on November 11 with more than 150 postwar artifacts. The National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C., is located at Independence Avenue and Sixth Street S.W., is open every day except December 25 from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., and admission is free, though timed-entry passes are required.

Source: Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum

Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)

Photo: 图：「现代军事航空」展厅内景。史密森尼国家航空航天博物馆官方发布。 / Photo: View of the 'Modern Military Aviation' gallery. Courtesy of the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum.

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