United States | Plane to see

Inside the world’s most famous aeroplane boneyard

What are 3,200 military aircraft doing in the Arizona desert?

Aerial shot of aeroplanes in the Davis-Monthan air-force base in Tucson, Arizona.
OMG it’s AMARGPhotograph: Getty Images
|TUCSON

FOR INFANTRY and armoured cavalry, target practice is relatively straightforward. Load up on training rounds and aim for paper bullseyes, plywood cutouts or life-size models of enemy vehicles. Air-defence forces have a trickier time. Despite the exception of the occasional Chinese spy balloon, the skies do not offer a wealth of objects to shoot at.

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This article appeared in the United States section of the print edition under the headline “Plane to see”

From the February 15th 2025 edition

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