An MQ-9 Reaper crashed at Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan, on Feb. 20, but the Air Force said it was not downed by hostile fire. The Reaper, assigned to the 451st Air Expeditionary Group, 455th Air Expeditionary Wing, crashed about 9 p.m. Afghanistan time and was contained on the airfield. No injuries or damage to civilian property was reported. USAF is investigating what caused the crash. A Reaper assigned to the same unit crashed near Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, in November 2015. That crash also was caused by something other than enemy fire.
The Space Development Agency says it’s on track to issue its next batch of missile warning and tracking satellite contracts this month after those awards were delayed by the Pentagon’s decision to divert funds from the agency to pay troops during this fall’s prolonged government shutdown.
