Gen. Charles "CQ" Brown, chief of staff of the U.S. Air Force, said the service has completed work on an intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) strategy that details investments through the end of the decade and is now preparing to brief congressional members on the new ISR strategy, Breaking Defense reported Friday.
Brown said Friday during a press conference the service has briefed some lawmakers and their staff about the ISR strategy that includes the General Atomics-built MQ-9 Reaper drone.
“I will tell you right now, the MQ-9 is still a very popular platform with the Combatant Commanders,” Brown said. “So, it’s not something we can just walk away from.”
He said the service can’t keep a complete fleet of Reapers into the future because it “won’t necessarily survive in a contested environment. And so I’ve got to make sure I’ve got that kind of capability as well. … So, there’s going to be a balance there as we go forward.”
