The U.S. Air Force unveiled a new special warfare technical integration support facility in Fort Walton Beach, Fla., tasked with speeding up the integration of new technologies and updating existing communication equipment for special operations. The Col. John T. Carney Center of Excellence opened during a ribbon cutting and dedication ceremony on Friday, the service said Wednesday.
Brig. Gen. William Holt, Air Force Special Operations Command special assistant to the commander, said the 25,000-square-foot facility aims to reduce the military’s development timeline from concepts to operational implementation through rapid response integration.Â
“It will bring together a diverse group of professionals with different backgrounds to collaborate, develop, test, field and operationalize concepts to maintain our competitive edge,†Holt said.
The Army said rapid integration accelerates special tactics operators’ response to the U.S. Special Operations Command’s call to support tactical air-to-ground integration and conduct global access, precision strike, personnel recovery and battlefield surgery operations.