VS wil MQ-9 Reaper omvormen tot moederschip voor 100 drones

The U.S. Special Operations Command is requesting a significant budget increase to transform the MQ-9 Reaper drone into a "mothership" capable of coordinating up to 100 smaller unmanned aerial vehicles. The 2027 budget request allocates $75.8 million for this program, a threefold increase from current funding, while simultaneously reducing the planned fleet of OA-1K Skyraider II aircraft from 75 to 53 units. This shift reflects the military's strategic pivot toward unmanned and distributed systems for operations in contested environments like the Indo-Pacific, where traditional manned