The Air Force has lost two MQ-1 Predator unmanned aerial vehicles in the space of two days. One crashed upon landing at Balad AB, Iraq, on July 30, and another crashed off base on July 31. There were no injuries or other damage in either case. And, the service says there was no indication of hostile fire. As usual, the Air Force is investigating the incidents.
A new report from the Government Accountability Office calls for the Pentagon’s Chief Technology Officer to have budget certification authority over the military services’ research and development accounts—a move the services say would add a burdensome and unnecessary layer of bureaucracy.
