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

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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