The Air Force is seeking to backfill the inventory of MQ-9 Reapers and field a cheaper, more expendable replacement.

The military must wait for manufacturers to fix or upgrade equipment, leaving them with outdated capabilities as technology evolves quickly, they said.

A national missile defense system would cost $1.2 trillion to build and maintain over the next 20 years, a nonpartisan federal agency estimated.

The increase from $25 billion just two weeks ago reflects “updated repair and replacement of equipment costs,” along with the “general operational costs.”