“The MQ-9 proved to be completely non-survivable in the Middle East. This should raise questions about the utility of the platform in conflict, especially major power wars,” Jennifer Kavanagh, director of military analysis at Defense Priorities, told The Times. “It is probably worth buying back aircraft that have been sold to police departments or other organizations, but I am skeptical about putting a ton of funding into replenishing what was lost in Iran.”
Defense Priorities is a Washington think tank that advocates for a more restrained U.S. military role abroad.
Ms. Kavanagh sees other platforms and cheaper alternatives as a more winning and affordable combination. She pointed to space assets and “really cheap reconnaissance drones that you expect to lose” as a better investment.
Still, those won’t come online fast enough for the current conflict.
“The U.S. is very slow and way behind other countries in cheap UAV production and, despite lots of hype and money, progress is at a glacial pace,” Ms. Kavanagh said.
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