The 53rd Test Evaluation Group’s Det. 1, called the Dragon Test Team, inactivated during a ceremony at Holloman AFB, N.M. “By law, whenever a weapon system is within five years of retirement, we stop conducting modifications and testing,” said Lt. Col. Rick Silong, Det. 1 commander. During its 24 years in service, the team tested F-117 stealth fighter’s software, hardware, weapon upgrades, platform survivability, and tactics to make sure the weapons worked every time. The inactivation means the detachment will close on a non-permanent basis in case the Air Force decides to stand up another unit of the same size and scope, Silong said.
The last remaining T-1 Jayhawk at JBSA-Randolph, Texas, took its final flight to the "Boneyard" at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., on July 15. The 99th Flying Training Squadron will train pilots using T-6 and simulator until it gets T-7 Red Hawk in fiscal 2026.