An Air Force MQ-1 Predator unmanned aerial vehicle crashed Aug. 1 at about 10:45 a.m. (local time) just north of Joint Base Balad in Iraq, according to an Aug. 1 release. There was no indication as to what caused the accident, but the service said a board would investigate. Another Predator crashed on June 2 in Iraq; word on the cause of that crash is still pending.
The Air Force has awarded a $29.7 million contract to engine startup Beehive Industries to complete work on a new disposable jet engine meant to power drones and munitions. The contract is just the latest step in the service’s effort to massively scale up production of cheap new missiles and…