An MQ-9A Reaper unmanned aerial vehicle took out enemy combatants with a Hellfire missile May 18 in Kandahar, Afghanistan, Air Forces Central announced May 19. These combatants were engaging friendly forces with rocket-propelled grenades. Also on that day, A B-1B bomber dropped 500-pound joint direct attack munitions on enemy combatants that were engaging friendly forces in Deh Chopan, Afghanistan.
The Air Force is already looking past the initial contracts it has awarded for the first autonomous Collaborative Combat Aircraft and is sketching out plans for the second batch of aircraft, Chief of Staff David W. Allvin said May 7. The approach is intended to speed the development of new…