The Air Force identified the pilot who died when the U-2 he was flying in crashed during a training mission Tuesday morning near Beale AFB, Calif. Lt. Col. Ira S. Eadie, assigned to the 1st Reconnaissance Squadron, and another pilot ejected before the TU-2S crashed near the Sutter Buttes in the Sacramento Valley shortly after takeoff at about 9:05 a.m.? local time, according to a release. The other pilot, who has not been identified, sustained non-life-threatening injuries and is receiving care at a local facility. The cause of the crash is under investigation.
The Air Force is moving forward with a new, algorithm-driven system to help U.S. Northern Command better detect airborne threats. NORTHCOM and the North American Aerospace Defense Command, which are tasked with protecting the homeland from attack, depend on a slew of radars and other data systems to monitor U.S.…