An MQ-1 Predator remotely piloted vehicle went missing on Nov 21 during a mission over southern Afghanistan after contact was lost between it and its human controllers on the ground, Air Forces Central announced Nov. 25. The command said there was no indication that enemy action was involved. AFCENT made no mention of whether wreckage had been recovered. A board will convene to investigate the incident. Earlier this month, Air Combat Command officials announced that investigators examining a previous Predator mishap back in April determined that electrical failure led to lost contact with the aircraft while it was flying over eastern Afghanistan, causing its subsequent crash.
The rate of building B-21 bombers would speed up if the fiscal 2026 defense budget passes. But it remains unclear how much capacity would be added, and whether the Air Force would simply build the bombers faster, or buy more.
