An Air Combat Command accident investigation board has determined that the F-15 crash into the Pacific Ocean on June 26 was the result of the pilot’s spatial disorientation. Maj. Gregory Young from the Oregon Air National Guard’s 142nd Fighter Wing died in the crash. He was flying a dissimilar air combat training mission with other unit aircraft and Marine Corps Reserve F/A-18s from Texas.
A combined Navy and Air Force program is seeking to build a smaller version of a ubiquitous air-to-air missile that could give advanced aircraft, such as the Collaborative Combat Aircraft, greater magazine depth in a high-end fight.