An MQ-9 Reaper unmanned aerial vehicle sustained damage in a ground accident May 12 at Bagram AB, Afghanistan, after returning from a combat mission. The incident occurred about 10 a.m. local time. A board of inquiry will investigate the mishap. USAF has operated Reapers in Afghanistan since September 2007. They carry Hellfire ground-attack missiles and 500-pound bombs. (Bagram report by Capt. Toni Tones)
A combined Navy and Air Force program is seeking to build a smaller version of a ubiquitous air-to-air missile that could give advanced aircraft, such as the Collaborative Combat Aircraft, greater magazine depth in a high-end fight.