The U.S. Navy has designated a new squadron tasked to test and evaluate unmanned aircraft systems for the service branch and the U.S. Marine Corps, with Cmdr. Matthew Densing serving as leader.

The commissioning of the new unit, named Air Test and Evaluation Squadron or UX 24, took place Thursday at Naval Air Station Patuxent River’s Webster Outlying Field, the Navy said Monday.

UX 24’s operations will leverage more than 23 UAS units including MQ-8 Fire Scouts, RQ-20 Pumas, RQ-21 Blackjacks and commercially sold systems.

“As the Navy continues to require the broad range of capability offered by UAS, UX-24 will always challenge the status quo,” said Densing, who formerly led the Navy’s UAS Test Directorate, UX 24’s predecessor.

Adm. John Richardson, chief of naval operations, approved the directorate’s transition to UX-24 to support research, development, test and evaluation for UAS used in the Department of the Navy‘s forces.

A draft policy directive would direct the Defense Department to hand over to the Office of Management and Budget by Dec. 1 a legislative proposal to establish a “space force” as a separate service branch, SpaceNews reported Monday.

The proposed Space Policy Directive-4 obtained by the publication would require DoD to submit a budget plan for the space-focused service for inclusion in the president’s fiscal 2020 funding request.

The Pentagon would need to establish a “lean” space force using existing resources to “minimize duplication of effort and eliminate bureaucratic inefficiencies,” according to the draft document.

The new military branch would oversee the provision of space services to all combatant commands and would include a civilian-led department of the space force and a U.S. space force headed by a four-star officer who will also serve on the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

The SPD-4 draft also calls for DoD to establish by fiscal 2019 a space development agency.

Vice President Mike Pence is scheduled Tuesday, Oct. 23, to hold a National Space Council meeting at the National Defense University to talk about the space force formation plans.
 

President Trump made a visit to Luke Air Force Base, Ariz., on Friday to talk with officials about U.S. military technology and weapons, as well as the 56th Fighter Wing’s training activities with the F-35 aircraft.

Discussions revolved around the topics of cybersecurity, F-35 development, stealth technology, foreign military sales and other defense matters, the U.S. Air Force said Saturday.

The president noted Arizona’s significant presence in the U.S. military community.

“This incredible state is home to six major military installations, more than 30K military personnel and thousands of defense companies,” Trump said. “Arizona’s military defense industries support 76,000 jobs and create $11.5B in economic output.”

Luke AFB represents approximately 95 percent of USAF’s pilot training activities, according to Brig. Gen. Todd Canterbury, who leads F-35 training as the 56th Fighter Wing commander.

An official from the Department of Health and Human Services has announced that a blockchain technology-based platform designed to facilitate a streamlined acquisition process will be operational this Thanksgiving, Bloomberg Government reported Friday.

HHS Associate Deputy Assistant Secretary Jose Arrieta said at a government technology conference, spearheaded by the General Services Administration‘s Emerging Citizen Technology Office, that Accelerate could become the first operational blockchain initiative launched by a federal agency.

Arrieta added that the department is optimistic that it will gain a return on investment of more than 800 percent over four years on its initial $3M capital spent.