An MQ-9 Reaper remotely piloted aircraft was damaged in a landing accident at Holloman AFB, N.M., Aug. 24. Holloman officials reported no injuries or collateral damage to private property in the area. The 29th Attack Squadron, which operates the MQ-9 at Holloman, is one of Air Combat Command’s two advanced training units for RPA pilots and sensor operators. An MQ-9 assigned to the 29th AS crashed in a similar landing incident last November, making this incident the fourth such crash at Holloman since stand-up of the RPA schoolhouse in September 2009. The incident occurred upon return from a local training sortie. The Air Force has launched an investigation into the mishap’s cause. (Holloman release)
The new rules for buying software made mandatory by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s March 6 memo are designed to strip away constraints on how the DOD and the military services contract with private sector companies, so that they can buy, integrate, and deploy innovative capabilities more quickly. But critics warn…