Congress approved this week $286 million for MQ-9 Reaper drones, weapons previously slated for elimination. The Air Force will obtain nine drones in 2021, 17 in 2022, two in 2023 and three in 2024.

The MQ-9, 36 feet in length and with a wingspan of 65 feet, is the first unmanned aerial vehicle designed for long-endurance, high-altitude surveillance. It can be remotely controlled or set to autonomous flight operations, and in the US is used by the U.S. Air Force, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, NASA.