A report this week in the Line of Departure blog says pilot error caused the April 8 fatal crash of a CV-22 Osprey in Afghanistan and attributes that news to “a source who has been briefed on the [accident investigation board] finding.” Last month, Flight Global reported that “a source familiar with the preliminary findings” said brownout conditions likely caused the crash. It’s possible they’re both right, but we’ll just have to wait for the official AIB release.
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.