The Air Force formally announced Wednesday that it had shifted 21 MQ-1 Predator unmanned aerial vehicles from Air Combat Command to Air Force Special Operations Command at the end of May. And, the service plans to give AFSOC another seven later this month, making a total of 28 for the air commandos’ 3rd Special Operations Squadron at Nellis AFB, Nev. The shift last month also gave the 3rd SOS some ACC personnel. AFSOC activated the new squadron in fall 2005.
The Air Force has begun flying its CV-22 Ospreys again. But that is just the start of a multi-step process to return the fleet to normal operations following a deadly crash last year, the service says.