A catastrophic electrical system overload caused the crash of an MQ-1 Predator unmanned aerial vehicle June 2 about two kilometers north of Joint Base Balad, Iraq, Air Combat Command announced Tuesday. The overload, associated with a problem with the aircraft’s No. 2 alternator, caused the aircraft’s primary control module—its brain—to fail, resulting in the mishap, ACC said in a release highlighting the findings of the accident investigation board report. The Predator, valued at $4 million, was assigned to the 432nd Wing at Creech AFB, Nev. It was damaged beyond repair and, accordingly, destroyed for security reasons, ACC said. There were no injuries or damage to other property.
Boeing has only delivered two KC-46 tankers to the Air Force so far in 2021, despite USAF officials saying they expect that total per month, as the service has slowed the delivery pace of the aircraft. Though there are more aircraft ready at Boeing’s facilities, Air Mobility Command is slowing…