U.S. sailor hit by helicopter blade dies
A sailor has died after he was struck by a helicopter blade at the Camp Pendleton Marine Corps base, north of San Diego.
The Marine Corps says the sailor was hit by the spinning tail rotor of a Venom helicopter the evening of Feb. 21 and died at a hospital shortly before 6 a.m., Feb. 24.
The helicopter was on the ground at the time.
The sailor was assigned to the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing.
The sailor’s name and other details of the accident haven’t been released. AP
Abu Dhabi hosts international trade show of military drones
The United Arab Emirates is hosting a stand-alone trade show featuring military drones, showing the power these weapons have across the Middle East.
The Unmanned Systems Exhibition & Conference is being held in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the UAE.
Top UAE officials, including Abu Dhabi’s powerful crown prince, Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, were on hand for the event, which opened Feb. 25.
Among the top companies in attendance was General Atomics, a San Diego-based defense contractor known for its Predator drones. The UAE previously purchased some $200 million worth of surveillance-only Predator drones.
Also on hand was Chinese firm Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group. Defense analysts believe the UAE has purchased weaponized drones from that Chinese manufacturer. AP
Trump says he’s eyeing Veterans’ Day for military parade
President Donald Trump is eyeing Veterans Day for a military parade but says he’ll scrap the idea if it can’t be done at a “reasonable cost.”
Trump wasn’t asked to define “reasonable cost” during a telephone interview Feb. 23 with Fox News Channel host Jeanine Pirro. But White House budget director Mick Mulvaney recently told Congress that a parade could cost between $10 million and $30 million.
Trump says officials are discussing Veterans Day in November as the likely date for the Pennsylvania Avenue parade, although he likes July 4.
But the president says a parade would be “something great” for the country’s spirit.
Trump got the idea for having a military parade after he attended France’s Bastille Day celebration last year in Paris.
Some lawmakers have panned the idea. AP