The failure of an ignition module in the engine of an MQ-1 Predator unmanned aerial vehicle caused the aircraft to crash east of Ali Base, Iraq, May 2, 2008, Air Combat Command said Tuesday. According to the findings of ACC’s accident investigation board, the intermittent failure of the module caused loss of power, which subsequently resulted in loss of thrust. The pilot was unable to recover thrust control and the aircraft impacted the ground. The MQ-1, valued at $3.8 million, was assigned to the 432nd Wing at Creech AFB, Nev. There were no injuries or damage to other property. (Langley report)
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.