Defense Department Undersecretary Michael Vickers said last week the march of IS “has exposed, along with some of the instability in North Africa, shortfalls that we believe we now have in some capacity areas,” specifically surveillance and reconnaissance drones, according to the report.
Drones like General Atomics' MQ-1 Predator and MQ-9 Reaper remain key in surveillance efforts in the Middle East. With the IS continuing to hold more than a quarter of Iraq and U.S. efforts to increasing, there will likely be a renewed emphasis on the program and a need for a bigger fleet.
