The Air Force believes an electrical issue, not enemy fire, caused its MQ-9 Reaper to crash in northern Syria on Tuesday, a spokesman told Air Force Magazine by email. Following the crash, ISIS-affiliated fighters posted video of the wreckage and claimed they shot down the remotely piloted aircraft, IHS Jane’s 360 reported. However, the service said the RPA was not brought down by enemy fire when announcing the mishap. The investigation into the cause of the crash is ongoing, the spokesman said, but “there are no indications that Da?esh [another term for ISIS] had anything to do with this.”
Every year, Congress and the military debate which combat assets should head to the boneyard and which have more life left in them. Lawmakers often opt to keep Air Force systems that bring jobs to their districts, which complicates matters as the service looks to modernize and ditch certain platforms.…