As the US Air Force starts to phase out some of its long-standing platforms, Tom Kaminski looks at what's next for its electronic warfare and intelligence gathering fleet. As the world's largest air arm, the USAF is known for its combat and airlift aircraft. However, the service also operates a varied fleet of electronic warfare (EW) and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) aircraft. The most well-known manned and unmanned platforms include the Lockheed Martin U-2, Boeing RC-135 series, and the General Atomics MQ-9. These legacy-platforms remain part of the nation's future defense plans but, by the end of fiscal year (FY) 2024, aircraft including the Northrop Grumman E-8 JSTARS, Lockheed Martin EC-130J and the Block 1 versions of the Predator will all be removed from the inventory without replacement.
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