The remains of Capt. James E. Cross, of Warren, Ohio, and Capt. Gomer D. Reese III, of Scarsdale, N.Y., have been identified, the Pentagon announced Sept. 25.Cross and Reese were flying a U-17B light aircraft on an orientation flight on April 24, 1970, over Xiangkhoang Province, Laos, when their aircraft was struck by enemy ground fire, crashed, and burned, with no signs of survivors. Based on surveys and excavations of the crash site between 1994 and 1998, in 2004, and in 2007, US and Laotian officials recovered human remains and crew-related items that led to the identification of both airmen, DOD said.
As Air Force leaders consider concepts of operations for Collaborative Combat Aircraft, sustainment in the field—and easing that support by using standard parts and limiting variants—should be a key consideration, according to a new study from AFA's Mitchell Institute of Aerospace Studies.