The US military website "The War Zone" reported that the US Air Force is urgently seeking to replenish its MQ-9 drone inventory after losing nearly 30 of these aircraft in operations against Iran and in missions against the Houthis. With the MQ-9A no longer in production, the US Air Force plans to procure unused inventory aircraft from General Atomics, but the number available is less than 10. The US military's MQ-9 fleet has shrunk from 165 aircraft at the beginning of fiscal year 2026 to approximately 135 currently.