The Combined Air Operations Center in Southwest Asia reports that an MQ-1 Predator unmanned aerial vehicle crashed Feb. 23 at about 1 p.m. some 60 miles northeast of Jalalabad, Afghanistan. Officials believe the crash was due to mechanical failure rather than enemy fire.
Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi met U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth on Jan. 15 as the two nations look to further solidify their ties in the face of growing Chinese and North Korean threats.

