Officials at Beale AFB, Calif., activated the 306th Intelligence Squadron to train tactical systems operators for the MC-12W Project Liberty ISR aircraft. The unit, which falls under the 361st Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Group at Hurlburt Field, Fla., will instruct more than 150 airmen each year, according to an Oct. 16 Beale release. “We will take the combat experience we have already and use new experience to build a strong pool of ISR airmen,” said Lt. Col. Robb Rigtrup, the squadron’s commander. The unit stood up during a ceremony on Oct. 5. The squadron traces its heritage to the 6306th Reconnaissance Technical Flight that began as a photo-reconnaissance unit in 1953, according to the release. (Beale report by SrA. Shawn Nickel)
SDA’s Next Phase of Data Transport Satellites on Hold
June 30, 2025
The long-term future of one of the Space Development Agency’s two satellite constellations is on hold as officials study the options for replacing a planned “data transport layer” with one or more commercial solutions. President Trump’s proposed 2026 defense budget...