The US Navy has established its first UAV squadron.
The deployment of drone squadrons helps the U.S. Navy develop and test specialized combat models for the future.
|
A U.S. Navy UAV lands on an aircraft carrier during a test. Photo: NBC News |
The U.S. Navy will establish the 24th Experimental and Evaluation Squadron (UX24) in October of this year to develop unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) systems for the force. UX24 will be based in Maryland and will be under the command of the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR).Navy TimesReport the news.
UX24 will be the first dedicated UAV squadron in the history of the U.S. Navy. This force adopted unmanned aircraft in combat operations much later than the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and the U.S. Air Force.
The Pentagon is expected to sign a contract for the construction of the MQ-25A Stingray shipborne refueling UAV by mid-year. This is the first UAV model built specifically for the US Navy, requiring a testing process that spans several years. The establishment of UX24 will help the US Navy develop operational plans for aircraft like the MQ-25A in the future.
Another reason given is that the US Navy is about to receive a large number of MQ-1 Predator drones that have been decommissioned by the US Air Force, requiring a separate squadron to operate and maintain this type of aircraft.
