An Air Force Reserve C-130H assigned to the 440th Airlift Wing at Pope Field, N.C., and an Army Special Operations Command C-27J made contact in the air near Fort Bragg, N.C., around 8:30 p.m. on Dec. 1, according to a 440th AW release. “Both aircraft landed safely with no reported injuries to aircrew or civilians, although each aircraft sustained some damage,” states the release. Both aircraft were conducting routine, but separate training missions. There were eight people on board the C-130H at the time, and five people aboard the C-27J, said officials.
The U.S. supports “a stronger and more capable” European defense, Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III said during an Oct. 22 press conference in Brussels—but that defense should not duplicate the functions and capabilities of the NATO alliance.