Pilots from the 432nd Operations Group with the U.S. Air Force held their first local flight of the MQ-9 Reaper unmanned aerial vehicle. A formal training unit conducted its first local flight of the Reaper following more than a year of training.

Students at a training facility at Holloman Air Force Base in New Mexico had used satellite relays to pick up the Reaper from a Nevada air base. Once qualification is completed and more aircraft are transferred to Holloman, the U.S. Air Force said, airmen would have the ability to conduct independent training missions. "From now until we get our second aircraft in December, we will be flying a local line intermittently to build a cadre of qualified launch and recovery crews," said Lt. Col. James Merchant, commander of the third detachment of the 432nd Operations Group. A third and fourth Reaper are scheduled to arrive at the base in January. The 432nd Operations Group becomes the 29th Attack Squadron on October 23.