The Wall Street Journal reports that the U.S. military is planning to drastically increase the number of drone flights it carries out in foreign airspace during the next four years.
The Pentagon plan aims to boost intelligence and air strike capabilities across a growing number of conflict zones, raising the number of daily flights from the current level of 61 to as many as 90 by 2019.
The move would provide extra surveillance in Ukraine, Iraq, Syria, the South China Sea, and North Africa.
It also would expand the Pentagon's capacity to carry out deadly air strikes.
The U.S. Air Force currently carries out most drone missions.
The new plan would lead to more drone flights carried out by the U.S. Army, Special Operations Command, and government contractors.
The move represents the first significant expansion of the U.S. drone program since 2011.