AFSOC Predator Unit Stands Up: Air Force Special Operations Command does have its first Predator UAV squadron—the 3rd Special Operations Squadron—but it is still waiting on the unit’s aircraft, says AFSOC spokesman Matt Durham. AFSOC activated the unit on Oct. 28, 2005, at Nellis AFB, Nev., (with little public fanfare) from where it is moving to nearby Creech Air Force Base, home to USAF’s current Predator fleet and the UAV Center of Excellence. The 3rd SOS is part of AFSOC’s 16th Special Operations Wing, headquartered at Hurlburt Field, Fla.
The Air Force is launching an effort to develop a new stand-off missile with a range of 1,000 nautical miles, or 1,150 miles, that would eventually be used for both air-to-air and air-to-surface missions.