US Air Force insignia on an aging jet plane.

The Senate Armed Services Committee's (SASC) wants the Air Force to boost its number of MQ-9 drones by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) through production or other means, according to a draft of the SASC's version of a fiscal 2027 defense authorization bill. The SASC draft bill would direct Air Force Secretary Troy Meink "to limit divestment and to submit a report  and briefing on the MQ-9 aircraft, while directing the MQ-9 to increase inventory by 2028," the committee…