US Army HADES ME-11B jets to launch 1,000km-class long-range drones

The US Army’s ME-11B HADES ISR jets are planned to operate as high-altitude sensor platforms that can also air-launch extremely long-range drones (~1,000km) to extend sensing reach while keeping the manned aircraft outside hostile air defenses. The concept also includes external wing hardpoints for modular sensor/mission pods and consolidation of aerial ISR into a dedicated drone battalion at Fort Hood, indicating a shift toward a distributed, standoff ISR ecosystem.