Pentagon reprograms $27.3 million for Gray Eagle UAS

Congress has approved a Defense Department request to reallocate $27.3 million to replace unmanned aircraft systems destroyed in the fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.

According to a Military Intelligence Program reprogramming document signed Aug. 26 by Pentagon Comptroller Mike McCord and released recently, the "funds are required to procure three MQ-1C Gray Eagle unmanned aircraft to replace aircraft lost in Operation Inherent Resolve. These aircraft will be in the extended range configuration."

The Gray Eagle funds are designated as an overseas contingency operations budget requirement.

DOD is transferring the funds from the defense-wide operations and maintenance account, where "funds are available from the Lift and Sustain account due to lower than expected number of troops using this authority." The document notes that "this is Title IX OCO budget funding."