Air
Force Special Operations Command may well get its own Predator squadron as early as this fall. An AFSOC spokeswoman, Capt. Elizabeth Paul, said the new unit, comprising 24 of the unmanned aerial vehicle (or, for those already into the new nomenclature, UASes), may stand up soon at Creech AFB, Nev. Ultimately, USAF expects to have at least 15 Predator squadrons, many run by Air National Guard or Air Force Reserve Command personnel.
A semi-autonomous Collaborative Combat Aircraft drone shot down an air-to-air target in a Dec. 8 test supported by the U.S. Air Force, a notable milestone in the development of the loyal wingman-type drones that will join the fleets of the USAF, other American services, and allies and adversaries.

