An MQ-1 Predator unmanned aerial vehicle sustained damage at 10:15 a.m. on Nov. 20 in southern Afghanistan, according to an Air Force release that day that offered no further specifics. And, on Nov. 21, another release stated that the landing gear of an MQ-1 collapsed around 6:45 a.m. on Nov. 21 in Iraq. The Air Force plans to investigate each incident further.
As the threat of Iranian-made drones grew, the Air Force rushed last year to equip F-15E Strike Eagles in the Middle East with a cheap, cost-effective way of defeating them. The service fielded the new capability in roughly a week.
