The popular Andrews Air Show will return in 2015, with a performance by the Air Force's Thunderbirds aerial demonstration team.

This will be the first air show at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland since 2012. The 2014 air show was canceled due to budget cuts, after the Defense Department in October 2013 ordered services to cut spending on community outreach activities by 45 percent. At the time, Andrews officials could not say when, or even if, the event would ever return.

After the 2012 air show, Andrews switched from holding the event annually to holding it every other year, meaning there was no performance in 2013.

The 2015 air show -- also known as the Joint Service Open House -- will be held Sept. 19, Joint Base Andrews said in a Dec. 30 release. It will commemorate the Air Force's 68th birthday as well as the 100th anniversary of the Naval Reserves, Andrews said.

"The 2015 JBA Air Show marks the return of the largest military event in the [national] capital region and will culminate the Air Force's birthday celebration," Col. Brad Hoagland, commander of Joint Base Andrews and the 11th wing, said in the release. "The Thunderbirds demonstrate the Air Force's air superiority."

Modern and vintage aircraft will also be on display on the ground at the air show. The Air Force band and honor guard will also perform. The release said Andrews will announce more details on aerial performances at a later date.

The show will be open to the public free of charge.

"The air show is Joint Base Andrews' opportunity to say thank you to our community, the state and the national capital region for all their incredible support, and we hope everyone will come out and enjoy the show," Hoagland said.

The 2012 air show cost $2.1 million and was attended by about 200,000 people.

Stephen Losey is the air warfare reporter for Defense News. He previously covered leadership and personnel issues at Air Force Times, and the Pentagon, special operations and air warfare at Military.com. He has traveled to the Middle East to cover U.S. Air Force operations.

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