The Air Force announced June 13 that an MQ-1 Predator unmanned aerial vehicle crashed the day before after takeoff from Kandahar Airfield in Afghanistan. The UAV was about six miles from the field when it crashed. The service will conduct an investigation into the accident. (Bagram Air Base report by Capt. Toni Tones)
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.