Pictured is Air Force Col. John Dayton, the program acquisition executive for ISR/SOF, addressing reporters during a panel at AFLCMC's annual industry days conference this week in Dayton, Ohio.

DAYTON, Ohio--The U.S. Air Force is examining niches that Group 2 and Group 3 drones could fill in the service's future intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) network. This month, the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) and U.S. Air Force announced a solicitation on Massed Modular Aircraft (MMA) to replace the General Atomics-Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) MQ-9A Reaper (Defense Daily, July 9). “The Joint Force’s reliance on low density, high-value ‘exquisite’ –greater than $30 million–manned and unmanned aircraft is unsustainable against adversaries…