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.
The U.S. military is maintaining a beefed-up presence in the Middle East, including fighters and air defense assets, following the U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities June 22 and subsequent retaliation by the Iranians against Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar.
