 Many defense officials are now promoting acquisition of a large, capable UAV designated the "U-X" with stealthy characteristics that can fly at altitudes above the ceiling of a piloted interceptor.`

The UAV would not necessarily be designed to overfly protected airspace.One or two dozen such UAVs would be bought at a minimum total price of $1.5 billion USD.Ironically, if the new UAV is built, it will bring the US full circle, back to the "Tier 3" UAV that was cancelled early in the 1990s.