Two F-16 fighters collided Thursday about 8:30 p.m. over the Atlantic Ocean about 40 miles east of Folly Beach, S.C., according to a release from their home unit, the 20th Fighter Wing at Shaw AFB, S.C. One pilot managed to land his aircraft at Charleston AFB, S.C., but the second is still missing. The wing identified the missing pilot as Capt. Nicholas Giglio and the other pilot as Capt. Lee Bryant. The Coast Guard, Navy, and Charleston have engaged aircraft and ships in a search for the missing airman and his fighter. The Post and Courier reports that a Shaw spokesman said the two airmen were on a night training mission at the time of the accident. (First release from Shaw)
Members of the House Armed Services Committee say the AIM-260 Joint Advanced Tactical Missile program has been set back three months due to the ongoing government shutdown. The comment is noteworthy because the JATM's status has been kept tightly under wraps.
