The Air Force lost an MQ-1 Predator remotely piloted vehicle when it crashed upon takeoff in eastern Afghanistan at about 1:50 a.m. local time Feb. 9, reported Air Forces Central Command the same day. AFCENT said the crash was not due to hostile fire and there were no reports of personal injury or property damage. An accident investigation board will investigate the incident.
In the Space Force’s push to increase its consumption of commercial satellite capabilities, satellite communications stands out as the template. The question now is how broadly the Space Force will look to leverage additional SATCOM providers.