Two F-16 fighters collided Thursday about 8:30 p.m. over the Atlantic Ocean about 40 miles east of Folly Beach, S.C., according to a release from their home unit, the 20th Fighter Wing at Shaw AFB, S.C. One pilot managed to land his aircraft at Charleston AFB, S.C., but the second is still missing. The wing identified the missing pilot as Capt. Nicholas Giglio and the other pilot as Capt. Lee Bryant. The Coast Guard, Navy, and Charleston have engaged aircraft and ships in a search for the missing airman and his fighter. The Post and Courier reports that a Shaw spokesman said the two airmen were on a night training mission at the time of the accident. (First release from Shaw)
The Air Force’s Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile is behind schedule and may significantly overrun its expected cost, which could partially explain why the service is reviving the hypersonic AGM-183 Air-Launched Rapid-Response Weapon.