The loss of crew situational awareness ultimately caused a Royal Air Force Puma Mk2 to crash in Kabul in October 2015, killing five on board, including two USAF airmen. The transport helicopter was landing at the headquarters of NATO’s training and support mission at the time of the crash. The UK Military Aviation Authority found that the pilots and rear crew fixated on ground features, and did not see an aerostat, according to a report in IHS Jane’s.The Puma hit the aerostat’s tether, causing the crash. The crash killed Maj. Phyllis J. Pelky, of Rio Rancho, N.M., and MSgt. Gregory T. Kuhse, of Kalamazoo, Mich., along with two Royal Air Force officers and a French contractor.
The Department of the Air Force wants to launch a construction boom with its fiscal 2027 budget, more than doubling its request over 2026, according to budget documents.