Museum to Open Modern Military Aviation Exhibit
The Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum's new exhibit traces military aircraft from the early Cold War to drones used in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Updated on Nov. 9, 2026 in Military
The Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum will open its Modern Military Aviation exhibit to the public on Nov. 11, 2026. The exhibit occupies the museum's top floor and features aircraft and artifacts spanning the early Cold War through the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Why it matters
The exhibit presents how military weapon systems have adapted to different mission types across several decades of conflict. Its display of drones alongside manned aircraft illustrates the evolution of aerial warfare.
The exhibit's A-10 Warthog gun is a 30 mm cannon more than 7 feet long with seven rotating barrels. The source does not detail visitor capacity or long-term display plans.
The players
Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum
The Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum is a Washington, D.C. museum within the Smithsonian Institution dedicated to the history of aviation and spaceflight.
The details
The exhibit includes an F-86 Sabre from the Korean War suspended upside down at the entrance and a Bell UH-1H Huey from the Vietnam War. It also features a General Atomics MQ-1L Predator drone, the AIR-2 Genie nuclear air-to-air rocket, and the cockpit and forward fuselage of an F/A-18 Hornet, which visitors may touch.
Timeline
Nov. 11, 2026: Modern Military Aviation exhibit opens to the public.
Military Aviation Timeline
The exhibit spans from the Korean War F-86 Sabre to Iraq and Afghanistan-era drones, tracing a line of aircraft development across the Cold War and post-9/11 conflicts. It presents the progression from manned fighters and helicopters toward unmanned systems.
Visitors to the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum will be able to see the exhibit's combat aircraft and touch the F/A-18 Hornet cockpit. The exhibit opens on Veterans Day, a date that may draw visitors interested in military history.
The takeaway
The exhibit offers a hands-on look at how combat aircraft evolved from the Cold War to modern drone warfare. Visitors planning a Veterans Day trip can see the artifacts in person beginning Nov. 11, 2026.
What happens next
The Modern Military Aviation exhibit opens to the public on Nov. 11, 2026.
Further reading
Explore more military news and analysis from across the region.
Source note: This article includes information reported by WTOP.
