The expansion of civilian remotely piloted aircraft operators within the Air Force will not include strike activities, according to Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Welsh. The Air Force is boosting its existing contractor presence in intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, Welsh said during an Aug. 24 "State of the Air Force" press briefing. The new expansion will employ contractors on government-owned systems in the near term until the service can mature its own training pipeline to sustain the increasing...
