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)
Facing competition from fast-growing startups, Lockheed Martin is speeding up production of an “affordable, scalable” hypersonic glide body, dubbed the Next Generation Glide Body, the firm said in a June 24 release.