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Air Force

CENTCOM Chief Says ‘Bigger, Better, Different’ ISR Capability Than MQ-9 Required For Future Operations

By Matthew Beinart

Tuesday, April 20th, 2021

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CENTCOM Chief Says ‘Bigger, Better, Different’ ISR Capability Than MQ-9 Required For Future Operations

A General Atomics' MQ-9 Reaper with an Agile Condor pod under wing (General Atomics Photo)

The head of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) told lawmakers Tuesday future operations in the Middle East will require a “bigger, better, different” capability for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) than the current MQ-9 Reaper drone. Rep. Mike Turner (R-Ohio) asked Marine Corps Gen. Frank McKenzie during a House Armed Services Committee hearing to discuss the role for the current drone system in CENTCOM, noting the panel is facing pressure for “diminishing the role of MQ-9 and other deployable ISR [capabilities].”…

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