To afford next-gen combat aircraft, the US Air Force will make cuts to ISR inventory
The Air Force plans to drop from 60 to 56 MQ-9 Reaper combat lines in fiscal 2022 as the U.S. military decreases its presence in the Middle East.
By Valerie Insinna
Pentagon budget will shake up ‘legacy’ systems. Lawmakers are shaking back.
Top Pentagon officials are asking Congress to let them use the upcoming budget to shed unneeded weapons in order to invest in forward-looking technologies now. It wasn't an easy conversation.
By Joe Gould
Get ready for another fight over the future of the MQ-9 Reaper
“There is no need to buy more aircraft," acting Air Force Secretary John Roth wrote in a letter to a senator, recently seen by Defense News.
By Valerie Insinna
MQ-9 Reaper: The only option for SOCOM’s ‘armed overwatch’ role
The MQ-9 is tailor-made for SOCOM’s Armed Overwatch role, says the author of this commentary.
By Dr. Michael Vickers
US airstrikes, surveillance in Afghanistan may continue from afar after drawdown
Marine Gen. Frank McKenzie, the head of U.S. Central Command, is drawing up options for keeping counterterrorism forces on call in the region.
Three F-35 squadrons headed for Tyndall as base’s fighter mission pivots
Three F-35A Lightning II squadrons are officially coming to Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., as the Air Force rules out a fourth squadron at the former F-22 installation.
Air Force bases MQ-9 Reapers in Romania
USAFE said the Reapers' deployment shows the United States' support for allies in the region, and seeks to deter adversaries.
Congress resurrects MQ-9 Reaper program, adding 16 drones for the Air Force
The sun won't set on the Reaper program for at least another year — as long as a budget bill is passed into law.
By Valerie Insinna
Amid veto threat, Senate rejects ban on Trump’s big UAE arms sale
The Senate voted Wednesday on two measures to block President Donald Trump’s plan to sell roughly $23 billion in weapons to the United Arab Emirates.
By Joe Gould