Air Forces Central announced Sunday that a USAF MQ-1 Predator unmanned aerial vehicle had crashed in southern Afghanistan about 11:35 a.m. local time. The release from Bagram AB, Afghanistan offered no further information on the incident. It said the Air Force would launch an investigation.
The Air Force has embraced new technical approaches like open mission systems and rapid software updates for cutting-edge aircraft like the B-21 and Collaborative Combat Aircraft. Increasingly, though, the service is also working to apply these to its older, “legacy” aircraft, officials said this week.