A remotely controlled QF-4 full-scale aerial target crashed on takeoff on the drone runway at Tyndall AFB, Fla., on Wednesday, announced base officials. No personnel were injured during the incident, which occurred at 8:25 a.m. local time, according to the base’s release. Base and local safety officials closed the local highway, Highway 98, as a precautionary measure due to the fires resulting from the crash and the unknown status of the drone’s small self-destruct charge, states the release. The potential danger from the charge was short term since “it is powered by a short-life battery which will be fully depleted in 24 hours,” states the release. Tyndall officials said they’d release more details as they become available. The QF-4 was assigned to Tyndall’s 53rd Weapons Evaluation Group. This is the second incident with a QF-4 operating from Tyndall this month. On July 10, operators destroyed a QF-4 over the Gulf of Mexico for safety considerations as it was returning to the base.
The Air Force and Boeing agreed to a nearly $2.4 billion contract for a new lot of KC-46 aerial tankers on Nov. 21. The deal, announced by the Pentagon, is for 15 new aircraft in Lot 11 at a cost of $2.389 billion—some $159 million per tail.