During a ceremony at Naval Air Station Patuxent River’s Webster Outlying Field on Oct. 18, the U.S. Navy commissioned its first UAS test and evaluation squadron.

Known as Air Test and Evaluation Squadron (UX) 24, the new unit flies over 23 fixed and rotary wing UAS, including the MQ-8 Fire Scout, RQ-20 Puma, RQ-21 Blackjack and RQ-26 Aerostar.

The ceremony marked UX-24’s official transition from what was formerly known as NAWCAD’s UAS Test Directorate, which was previously overseen by Commander Matthew Densing. Under Densing’s leadership, the directorate executed more than 2,200 flight hours and 2,000 ground test hours in support of UAS developmental test. 

During the ceremony, Cdr. Densing officially assumed leadership of UX-24.

“This squadron centralizes the Navy’s technical excellence in unmanned aviation,” Densing says.

“As the Navy continues to require the broad range of capability offered by UAS, UX-24 will always challenge the status quo.”

Establishment of UX-24 was approved earlier this year by Chief of Naval Operations, Adm. John Richardson. The goal of UX-24 is to provide research, development, test and evaluation support for Navy and Marine Corps UAS, as growth in the field required establishment of a command dedicated solely to that mission.