The remotely piloted MQ-9 Reaper was the workhorse in the U.S. air campaign against Iran, Air Force leaders told Congress on May 20, even as the service’s fiscal 2027 budget request still pours the bulk of aircraft dollars into crewed fighters.
Having repeatedly proven their worth, unmanned aircraft will “play an increasingly important role as we build out into the future across the board,” Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink told the House Armed Services Committee. When Rep. Chrissy Houlahan, D-Pa., asked whether manned and unmanned systems represent the future of the Air Force, Meink answered, “Absolutely.”
Click here to read more: Air Force dubs MQ-9 the ‘MVP’ of Epic Fury as lawmakers press manned-unmanned future