On Sept. 5, Air Forces Central reported that an MQ-1 Predator unmanned aerial vehicle had crashed Sept. 4 in Eastern Afghanistan at about 8:45 p.m. Kabul time. AFCENT said the crash was not due to hostile fire and there were no reports of civilian injuries or damage. USAF will establish an investigation board to review the incident.
As the threat of Iranian-made drones grew, the Air Force rushed last year to equip F-15E Strike Eagles in the Middle East with a cheap, cost-effective way of defeating them. The service fielded the new capability in roughly a week.
