Two T-6 Texan II training aircraft collided Nov. 28 around 1 p.m. over the Columbus AFB, Miss., auxiliary airfield in Shuqualak. The four airmen ejected safely; the aircraft crashed. And, in Iraq, the Air Force has lost another MQ-1 Predator unmanned aerial vehicle. It crashed in an unpopulated area on Nov. 29 at about 11 a.m. local time. The Air Force says accident investigations have begun on each incident.
As Air Force leaders consider concepts of operations for Collaborative Combat Aircraft, sustainment in the field—and easing that support by using standard parts and limiting variants—should be a key consideration, according to a new study from AFA's Mitchell Institute of Aerospace Studies.