DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES – An unarmed Iranian drone shadowed a U.S. aircraft carrier at night and came close enough to F-18 fighter jets to put the lives of American pilots at risk, the Navy said Tuesday, reporting the second such tense encounter within a week. The Iranian Sadegh drone flew without any warning lights during the encounter Sunday night with the USS Nimitz, said Lt. Ian McConnaughey, a spokesman for the Bahrain-based 5th Fleet. The drone did not respond to repeated calls over the radio and came within 1,000 feet (300 meters) of U.S. fighters, he said. That "created a dangerous situation with the potential for collision and is not in keeping with international maritime customs and laws," McConnaughey said in a statement. The drone was unarmed, the lieutenant said, though that model can carry missiles. Iran's military and state-run media did not immediately report the incident, which came after a similar encounter Aug. 8, in which the Navy said an Iranian drone came within 100 feet (30 meters) of an F-18 preparing to land on the Nimitz.

An unarmed Iranian drone buzzed an American Super Hornet fighter jet as it circled an aircraft carrier in the Persian Gulf, Defense Department officials said on Tuesday. A statement released by the military's Central Command said that despite repeated radio calls demanding that Iran keep the drone clear of American flight operations in the vicinity of the aircraft carrier Nimitz, the Iranian vehicle came within 100 feet of the fighter jet, which had to swerve to avoid a collision. At the time of the incident, the jet had been in a holding pattern and was planning to land on the carrier, the statement said. "The dangerous maneuver created a collision hazard and is not in keeping with international maritime customs and laws," the statement said. The American military said this was the 13th "unsafe" or "unprofessional" interaction between American and Iranian maritime forces this year.

An Iranian drone nearly collided with a U.S. Navy F-18 Super Hornet while the American jet was in a holding pattern, a U.S. defense official told Fox News. The jet was about to land aboard the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz, which recently arrived in the Persian Gulf. It was the first time an Iranian drone has "interrupted a flight pattern," the official said. The F-18 "maneuvered to avoid collision," said the official, who described the unarmed Iranian drone as a Qom-1. The official described the encounter as "unsafe and unprofessional…and dangerous."

Searchers will eventually locate the wreckage of flight MH370 by harnessing the power of technologies such as artificial intelligence, said Malaysia Airlines' chief executive. Due to "advances in science" as well as "the availability of artificial intelligence that's coming on stream," wreckage of the Boeing 777 will eventually be found Malaysia Airlines CEO Peter Bellew said. Bellew made his comments in an interview with The Australian newspaper on the heels of an aviation summit. In March 2014, flight MH370 – a Boeing 777 – disappeared with 239 people on board, including 12 Malaysian crew members and 227 passengers. After its disappearance, there was an extensive hunt in the southern Indian Ocean in which some marine debris was found, including a six-foot part of one of the wings. However, the bulk of the aircraft is still missing.

The mystery behind the disappearance of Malaysia Airline Flight MH370 continues with no closure for the families of 239 people who were on board the jet. On Monday, Malaysia Airline's CEO Peter Bellew told The Australian newspaper that advances in science and technology, including artificial intelligence, can help pinpoint the resting place of the missing jet. The Boeing 777-200 went missing March 8, 2014, while on its way from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. After over three years of search in a remote part of the southern Indian Ocean where the plane was believed to have crashed, no concrete clues as to what happened to the jet have been yielded. The multimillion-dollar hunt for MH370 was suspended this year after search vessels failed to find it.

We'll take a look back at some of the big stories from earlier this week, plus key updates like NASA's tips for viewing a solar eclipse. Getting the weekend started early.DC security robot says everything is fine, throws itself into pool Don't read too much into this, but a security robot face-planted into an indoor fountain inside of a Washington, DC office building. Important information.NASA doesn't want you to go blind during the solar eclipse Please, for the love of god (and your eyesight), do not try to make your own eclipse glasses. Buy a pair, and make sure they're less than three years old with lenses that are in good shape. The much-celebrated full solar eclipse is just one month away for those in the continental United States, and NASA really does not want you to go blind when it finally happens.

US Navy officers are currently testing the world's first drone-killing laser capable of blasting targets with 30kW of power. The $40 million (£30 million) super laser moves at the speed of light and is'more precise than a bullet', according to naval officers. Live-tests of the new super laser have now begun in the Persian Gulf, and officials have predicted that it will be used in combat by 2020. While laser weapons have been a staple in science fiction films for decades, the US military is inching closer to making these a reality. US Navy officers are currently testing the world's first drone-killing laser capable of blasting targets with 30kW of power (pictured) The LaWS, which stands for Laser Weapons System, is currently being tested on board the USS Ponce amphibious transport ship.

WASHINGTON – The Trump administration has authorized the sale of unarmed surveillance drones to India, the manufacturer said Friday, as the two nations' leaders prepare for their first face-to-face meeting. India initiated its request to buy 22 Guardian MQ-9B unmanned aircraft for maritime surveillance last year. The deal is estimated to be worth about $2 billion. The offer is still subject to congressional approval. The green light from the administration marks a further deepening in defense ties before India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets with President Donald Trump at the White House on Monday. Modi's two-day visit to Washington, which starts Sunday, takes place amid uncertainty over the relationship because of differences on trade and other issues.

After receiving more than 18,300 applications, NASA has finally announced its new class of astronauts – some of whom could move on to deep-space missions aboard the Orion spacecraft. The space agency introduced 12 men and women today on stage at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, during an event that was attended by Vice President Mike Pence. Vice President Pence wished'Godspeed' to the new class, and revealed the Trump administration will be reopening the National Space Council, with Pence as a chair, in efforts to'ensure that America will never again lose our lead in space exploration and space innovation technology.' The lineup includes: Kayla Barron, Zena Cardon, Raja Chari, Matthew Dominick, Bob Hines, Dr Warren'Woody' Hoburg, Jonny Kim, Robb Kulin, Jasmin Moghbeli, Loral O'Hara, Dr Frank Rubio, Jessica Watkins The chosen few will undergo two years of training, after which they will be assigned to various missions, including research on the International Space Station, launches aboard commercial spacecraft, and even deep-space exploration. After brief introductions from Johnson Center Director Ellen Ochoa and the showing of a video from current astronauts welcoming the newcomers, Flight Operations Director Brian Kelly introduced the new candidates one by one, in alphabetical order. The lineup includes: Kayla Barron, Zena Cardon, Raja Chari, Matthew Dominick, Bob Hines, Dr Warren'Woody' Hoburg, Jonny Kim, Robb Kulin, Jasmin Moghbeli, Loral O'Hara, Dr Frank Rubio, Jessica Watkins.

It all started at Baledogle, the old Soviet airport 70 miles northwest of Mogadishu, Somalia's capital, where the U.S. runs a deeply clandestine drone operation with around 30 to 40 American personnel. While shrouded in secrecy, Baledogle has reportedly grown over the years into a key point for training Somali commandos and, early last month, for launching a joint strike against al-Shabab. The radical Islamist group grew out of the splintered factions of Sharia-based courts that filled the vacuum of authority after a U.S.-led coalition withdrew from the country in the early 90s. Today, al-Shabab sees itself as the preeminent terror force in Somalia with global ambitions. "These folks are honing their skills in a local conflict that is part of a global war they are waging against the United States," said Katherine Zimmerman, an expert on Al Qaeda at the American Enterprise Institute. Al-Shabab regularly attacks foreigners, including aid workers and Somalis, as it wages an insurgent fight against the U.S.-leaning government.