An MQ-1 Predator crashed in southern Turkey early Wednesday morning, the Air Force said. The remotely piloted aircraft impacted in an unpopulated area around 1:40 a.m. local time on Feb. 3, according to the press release. Turkish state-run media said the aircraft crashed shortly after leaving Incirlik Air Base, the Associated Press reported. An investigation is underway to determine what caused the crash, but the initial assessment points to mechanical failure. No one was injured in the incident, and the US and Turkey have control of the crash site. The US has lost at least five Predators supporting Operation Inherent Resolve since March 2015. Officials said the last Predator crash, in January, was due to technical failure.
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.