The Air Force has activated a new unmanned aerial vehicle unit, Det. 4 of the 53rd Test Management Group. The detachment, located at Creech AFB, Nev., comprises some 10 airmen—program managers, flight test analysts, and engineers—whose job is to manage operational test and evaluation of the MQ-1 Predator and MQ-9 Reaper UAVs. The 53rd TMG resides at Eglin AFB, Fla.
Less than a day after arriving in the Middle East, F-15E Strike Eagles from Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, N.C. defended Israel from an Iranian attack in April 2024. DUDE flight, four F-15Es from the 335th Fighter Squadron, downed two dozen Iranian drones in roughly 45 minutes.