The Air Force's E-4B, which the president would use to direct forces during nuclear war, is nearing the end of its life and will be replaced by the SAOC.
DIU wants to improve its process for vetting commercial drones, with the goal of making it easier for companies to sell their systems to the U.S. military.
The service did away with the pursuit of a new manned armed scout helicopter and is grappling with how to fill the gap using a network of smart drones.