A Civil Air Patrol Cessna 206T received an upgraded sensor suite to mimic an MQ-1 Predator remotely piloted aircraft for pre-deployment combat training, the Air Force Research Laboratory announced. “The Enhanced Surrogate Predator 3 is a redesign of the first two surrogate Predators, which had a wing-mounted turret,” AFRL program manager J. P. Sena said in a release, April 22. Upgrades include a sensor turret that retracts into the Cessna’s belly to both improve field of view and reduce aerodynamic drag when not in use, as well as a more ergonomic and capable operator’s station. “Troops training for deployment get experience with what they will see overseas,” added Sena. “Our government saves millions by keeping the [RPA] assets in theater,” while CAP is able to use the sensor-equipped Cessnas for disaster relief, homeland security, and search and rescue missions as well as combat exercises such as Green Flag, he said.
NASA Boss: Race to Moon Has National Security Stakes
Sept. 15, 2026
NASA is pushing hard to get astronauts back to the moon by 2028—and the urgency is driven in no small part by the national security implications of doing so before China does, Administrator Jared Isaacman said Sept. 15.
