There is a lot of crap going down in Central and South America, Africa, Yemen, Philippines, etc that would be a good fit for a moderately armed (if laser-guided bombs are moderate) reconnaissance aircraft. But with the proliferation of MPADs, that environment is rapidly shrinking. I was amazed that we didn't see more MPADs in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria.
At the end of the day, UCAVs are taking over this role. They have plenty of lethal and reconnaissance capabilities, extensive loiter times, and they keep pilots out of harm's way. Look at the path that Iran and Turkey are taking. Not sure investing in piloted reconnaissance A/C has much future.
Last edited by STRSWilson; 08/05/22.
