USAF shifts MQ-9 replacement toward 'affordable mass' attritable MALE UAS

The USAF approved new requirements for an MQ-9 Reaper successor emphasizing open architecture and modern manufacturing to enable lower-cost, mass-producible MALE drones that can be risked and lost in contested environments. This reflects a doctrinal/acquisition shift from pursuing exquisite survivable platforms toward quantity-based 'affordable mass' ISR/strike capacity.