An F-16 fighter assigned to the 31st Fighter Wing at Aviano AB, Italy, crashed Sept. 18 while on a routine high-altitude training mission. The pilot, Maj. Timothy Palmer, ejected and was undergoing medical evaluation but appeared in good condition. The aircraft crashed in a remote area northwest of the base. An accident investigation is underway.
There is a new entrant in the highly competitive field of collaborative combat aircraft—semi-autonomous drones meant to fly alongside manned combat aircraft. Northrop Grumman unveiled its new Project Talon aircraft to a small group of reporters at the facilities of its subsidiary Scaled Composites.

