The 33rd Fighter Wing at Eglin AFB, Fla., planned to deactivate its 60th Fighter Squadron after the unit’s final sortie on Dec. 4. Some 20 remaining airmen and 12 F-15s of the 60th FS will go to the other 33rd FW squadron, the 58th FS, as the wing continues its drawdown and transformation into the Joint Strike Fighter Integrated Training Center. “While we are sad to see one of our nation’s top air superiority squadrons close their doors, it is a necessary move as the wing prepares for the future,” said Col. Todd Harmer, 33rd FW commander. (Eglin release)
General Atomics, the maker of one of the Air Force’s first Collaborative Combat Aircraft, has ambitious plans for its family of semi-autonomous drones beyond the FQ-42, including a flying-wing aircraft capable of carrying out both reconnaissance and strike missions. Meanwhile, the Air Force Research Laboratory announced a new program to…