The U.S. Air Force’s 53rd Wing officially elevated its Collaborative Combat Aircraft unit to a fully operational squadron. The new Experimental Operations Unit was formally activated on Thursday, June 5 at Nellis Air Force Base.

The unit had previously operated as a detachment under the 53rd Wing, based in Nevada, since 2023. This week’s activation as a fully operational squadron comes as the Air Force steps up testing of the first phase of its Collaborative Combat Aircraft (or CCA) program.

“The EOU embodies our commitment to rapid innovation and ensuring our warfighters have the most advanced tools to dominate the future battlespace,” Col. Daniel Lehoski, commander of the 53rd Wing, said in the announcement from the Air Force. “They are ready to reduce risk in concurrency and deliver c

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