Media Platforms Design Team(U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Tiffany Trojca) The Air Force’s newest intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) aircraft, the MC-12 took off yesterday for its first combat mission in Iraq. This medium-altitude manned turbo prop aircraft will support Coalition and joint ground forces. This aircraft is a product of the ISR task force put together by Defense Secretary Robert Gates to rush surveillance platforms into warzones. —Tyghe Trimble RELATED STORIES• PLUS: 7 Defense Winners and Losers Under Gates• ANALYSIS: Fixing Government Procurement• EARLIER: Behind the Scenes with a Special Ops Gunboat• FOLLOW US: Popular Mechanics is Now on Twitter!• FRIEND US: Find PM on Facebook(U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Elizabeth Rissmiller)(U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Elizabeth Rissmiller)(U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Tiffany Trojca)
