An MQ-1 Predator crashed in southern Turkey early Wednesday morning, the Air Force said. The remotely piloted aircraft impacted in an unpopulated area around 1:40 a.m. local time on Feb. 3, according to the press release. Turkish state-run media said the aircraft crashed shortly after leaving Incirlik Air Base, the Associated Press reported. An investigation is underway to determine what caused the crash, but the initial assessment points to mechanical failure. No one was injured in the incident, and the US and Turkey have control of the crash site. The US has lost at least five Predators supporting Operation Inherent Resolve since March 2015. Officials said the last Predator crash, in January, was due to technical failure.
Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III outlined Dec. 4 the vital importance of U.S. defense investment keeping pace with that of China before issuing a statement warning that such competition would suffer “irreparable” damage if Congress opts for a yearlong continuing resolution, a real possibility being discussed by lawmakers after…