
In a ceremony held on October 18, the U.S. Navy commissioned its first test squadron dedicated to unmanned air systems (UAS). The creation of a dedicated UAS trials squadron was approved by Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral John Richardson, in April this year.
Known as Air Test and Evaluation Squadron (UX) 24, the new squadron continues the work of the UAS Test Directorate of the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD). Heading the unit is Commander Matthew Densing, who was also the commanding officer of NAWCAD UASTD, and under whose leadership conducted more than 2,200 flying hours. Addressing the audience during UX-24’s commissioning ceremony, he noted that, “This squadron centralizes the Navy’s technical excellence in unmanned aviation. As the Navy continues to require the broad range of capability offered by UASs, UX-24 will always challenge the status quo.”