An MQ-1 Predator remotely piloted vehicle went missing on Nov 21 during a mission over southern Afghanistan after contact was lost between it and its human controllers on the ground, Air Forces Central announced Nov. 25. The command said there was no indication that enemy action was involved. AFCENT made no mention of whether wreckage had been recovered. A board will convene to investigate the incident. Earlier this month, Air Combat Command officials announced that investigators examining a previous Predator mishap back in April determined that electrical failure led to lost contact with the aircraft while it was flying over eastern Afghanistan, causing its subsequent crash.
The Air Force has finished resurrecting a B-1B Lancer, completing a yearslong process to transform a bomber that had been stored for parts in the Arizona desert into the new flagship of the 7th Bomb Wing at Dyess Air Force Base, Texas.