Air Forces Central reported Dec. 4 that an MQ-1 Predator unmanned aerial vehicle had crashed on the runway at Joint Base Balad, Iraq, about 7:30 a.m., Baghdad time. The release said the extent of the damage was unknown and made no mention of collateral damage or injury. The Air Force will conduct an accident investigation.
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.
