The Air Force’s military deputy for acquisition, Lt. Gen. Donald Hoffman, told a Washington industry symposium Tuesday that the Air Force is working to streamline operations for its unmanned aerial vehicles. Currently the Air Force has one UAV pilot console at Creech AFB, Nev., from which the pilot can handle four Predators at once. Hoffman said that for many missions, sensor operators rather than a pilot can handle simple tasks such as monitoring a site once a vehicle is on station. However, he added, if the mission calls for an airstrike, the pilot can take over easily. Hoffman explained that the capability for a single pilot to fly several UAVs is very important and now more possible as the Air Force expands facilities at Creech—the center for most Air Force UAV training and operations.
The U.S. military is maintaining a beefed-up presence in the Middle East, including fighters and air defense assets, following the U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities June 22 and subsequent retaliation by the Iranians against Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar.
