A civilian pilot was injured when an A-4 Skyhawk crashed on Thursday morning while flying red air operations at Nellis AFB, Nev. The Skyhawk went down on public land near Nellis around 7:40 a.m. after an in-flight emergency, Air Combat Command announced. The pilot, who received medical treatment for minor injuries, was supporting 57th Wing operations at the time of the crash. Draken International flies A-4 Skyhawks, along with L-159 aircraft, to augment the Air Force’s F-16 aggressor fleet at Nellis. The aircraft have advanced radar, counter measures, and other equipment to replicate fourth generation jets in training exercises. Draken said last month that its A-4s flew as red air threats for F-35 training at Nellis.
The rate of building B-21 bombers would speed up if the fiscal 2026 defense budget passes. But it remains unclear how much capacity would be added, and whether the Air Force would simply build the bombers faster, or buy more.
