US Air Force unit retires drone, transitions to new model

ALOMOGORDO, N.M. — A U.S. Air Force training unit at a base in southern New Mexico has retired a widely used armed drone to transition to a newer remotely piloted model.

The Alamogordo Daily News reports that the 6th Attack Squadron at Holloman Air Force Base is transitioning to the MQ-9 Reaper from the MQ-1 Predator, some of which remain in operational status.

A Predator will be put on static display at Heritage Park on the base, which held a retirement ceremony Monday to mark the transition.

The missile-firing MQ-1 has seen combat in Bosnia, Serbia, Afghanistan, Iraq, Africa and other locations.

The Holloman squadron has trained hundreds of pilots and senor operators since being activated in 2009 to provide Predator operators their initial qualification training for the aircraft.

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