More Air Force drones are crashing than ever as mysterious new problems emerge

washingtonpost.com ^ | January 20 at 10:02 AM | Craig Whitlock

[BenLurkin]

Driving the increase was a mysterious surge in mishaps involving the Air Force's newest and most advanced "hunter-killer" drone, the Reaper, which has become the Pentagon's favored weapon for conducting surveillance and airstrikes against the Islamic State, al-Qaeda and other militant groups.

The Reaper has been bedeviled by a rash of sudden electrical failures that have caused the 21/2-ton drone to lose power and drop from the sky, according to accident-investigation documents obtained under the Freedom of Information Act. Investigators have traced the problem to a faulty starter-generator, but have been unable to pinpoint why it goes haywire or devise a permanent fix.

All told, 20 large Air Force drones were destroyed or sustained at least $2 million in damage in accidents last year, the worst annual toll ever, according to a Washington Post investigation. The Pentagon has shrouded the extent of the problem and kept details of most of the crashes a secret.

[shankbear]

They are getting hacked. The hajis are jihadi hackers now.

[Oatka]

Investigators have traced the problem to a faulty starter-generator, but have been unable to pinpoint why it goes haywire . . .

Turn it over and see if it was made in China.

[mountainlion]

Space herpes.

[Mastador1]

First question, the faulty starter-generator and how many other parts are sourced from the ChiComs?

[WMarshal]

I wonder if they are using any hardware that is foreign sourced, like say from China?

[alloysteel]

Deliberate jamming or feeding a virus to the OS of the computers that control the drone?

Cyber warfare has gotten pretty sophisticated in recent years. Sure, the ISIS barbarians are for the most part, ignorant louts, but occasionally, there is an astute one or two that manages to hack into the weapons control systems, and turn our own devices AGAINST us.

[JoeDetweiler]

Pinging Michael Crichton!

[refermech]

Bad muffler bearing probably...

[Ray76]

Hackers. Today destroy, tomorrow control and redirect.

[dfwgator]

They are getting hacked. The hajis are jihadi hackers now.

Gee, who didn't see this coming? /s

[OKSooner]

Yeah... that’s gotta be it...

[IYAS9YAS]

Bad muffler bearing probably...

Electronics by Lucas?

[moovova]

Uh...gravity?

[momincombatboots]

We always called it.. lowest bidder.

[Fireone]

First thing I’d do is see who’s flying them. Our military has been severely compromised by this administration. Who knows who they’ve got at the controls?

[KrisKrinkle]

“Electronics by Lucas?”

Well, they did invent the short circuit didn’t they?

[Rusty0604]

Or made by contractors hired for their diversity or political donations instead of their expertise.

[right way right]

Ethanol in the fuel?

[NorthMountain]

Ethanol in the fuel?

LOL

No. It's a turboprop, runs on JP-8 or JET-A.