Two F-16Cs assigned to the District of Columbia Air National Guard’s 113th Wing collided mid-air around 11 p.m. on Aug. 1 during a routine training mission off the coast of Chincoteague, Va.. The Coast Guard recovered one pilot who safely ejected from his aircraft. The other aircraft was able to return to JB Andrews, Md. Both pilots were transferred to an Andrews medical facility—one was released and the other has since been moved to an offsite medical facility for minor injuries, states the Aug. 2 release. The cause of the mishap remains under investigation.
The Air Force is launching an effort to develop a new stand-off missile with a range of 1,000 nautical miles, or 1,150 miles, that would eventually be used for both air-to-air and air-to-surface missions.