One pilot was killed and another sustained injuries when a two seat U-2 training aircraft crashed Tuesday near Beale AFB, Calif. The aircraft, a TU-2S, crashed near the Sutter Buttes in the Sacramento Valley at about 9:05 am local time. Photos of the scene show the charred wreckage of the aircraft, with its tail in tact, and a brush fire burning. The Air Force had five of the TU-2S variants, two-seat U-2s used for pilot training. The aircraft was assigned to the 1st Reconnaissance Squadron, 9th Reconnaissance Wing at Beale.
The emphasis on speed in the Pentagon’s newly unveiled slate of acquisition reforms may come with increased near-term cost increases, analysts say. But according to U.S. defense officials, the new weapons-buying construct provides the military with enough flexibility to prevent runaway budget overruns in major programs.
