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.
U.S. Southern Command recently announced its first lethal strike on a suspected narco-trafficking vessel in two months, and the first under a newly formed permanent counter-cartel task force. The U.S. is also reportedly planning to transfer MQ-9 drones to Colombia to bolster its counter-cartel efforts.