Air Force officials are investigating the death of Maj. John Gerrie, 42, who was found dead at Al Udeid AB, Qatar, on Jan. 16. Gerrie, of Nickerson, Kan., was assigned to the 453rd Electronic Warfare Squadron, JBSA-Lackland, Texas, according to the Defense Department. Gerrie was supporting Operation Freedom’s Sentinel. He died from a “non-combat related incident,” the Pentagon said.
The Air Force is leaning toward a less-sophisticated autonomous aircraft in the second increment of the Collaborative Combat Aircraft, the services chief futurist said. He also suggested that the next increment of CCA may be air-launched, a la the "Rapid Dragon" experiments conducted by the service in recent years.