A T-6 Texan II trainer aircraft assigned to the 47th Flying Training Wing at Laughlin AFB, Tex., crashed Friday near the base during an undergraduate training sortie. The Del Rio News-Herald reported that witnesses saw both the student pilot and instructor eject from the T-6 before it skidded on the ground into a cloud of dust near Spofford, Tex. Laughlin officials said the instructor pilot and student were both safe. A board of officers will investigate the mishap. (Laughlin report by George McKnight)
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.