An accident investigation board determined that a third stage fan disk malfunction caused a catastrophic fire aboard an F-16 before the fighter launched from Luke AFB, Ariz., on Oct. 26. The fan disk penetrated the fuel tank, which in turn ignited the fire causing the engine to explode. Lt. Col. Drexel Sherman, a 62nd Fighter Squadron instructor pilot, managed to stop the burning fighter and get out safely. However, the $22 million aircraft was a total loss. The 56th Fighter Wing lost at least two other F-16s last year to crashes, one in April, in which the aircraft also suffered an engine explosion, and one in December that is still under investigation.
While the Space Force is still making long-term plans to establish high-fidelity live and virtual test and training ranges in the coming years, officials say they're also working with operators to identify near-term gaps and quickly field capabilities to address them.
