The latest story is that the firing was an accidental discharge. The pilot was said to be on his way to the firing range when the gun discharged without warning, and without the pilot actually firing it.

These kinds of gremlins in automated weapon systems are more usual than generally known. As the level of complexity increases, the chance of mishap increases too. Think how often a modern computer controlled car does something wierd without warning.

Makes a great case for keeping training areas and the access routes to them as remote as possible.

Mark