USAF Races to Refill MQ-9 Reaper Fleet After Iran Losses

1 min read
Source: The War Zone
USAF Races to Refill MQ-9 Reaper Fleet After Iran Losses
Photo: The War Zone
TL;DR Summary

The Air Force plans to buy back a small number of unused MQ-9A Block 5 Reapers from General Atomics to backfill combat losses in the Middle East, but only a handful are available worldwide. With the MQ-9A fleet shrinking to about 135–165 aircraft, the service is pursuing the long-term MQ-9 Next (not expected for years) while cannibalizing Predator parts and reusing decommissioned drones to keep operations running.

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