{"id":33279,"date":"2026-07-08T16:07:31","date_gmt":"2026-07-08T16:07:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet\/uncategorized\/2026\/07\/08\/pentagon-to-explore-cheaper-replacements-for-the-mq-9-reaper\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T17:30:48","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T17:30:48","slug":"pentagon-to-explore-cheaper-replacements-for-the-mq-9-reaper","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet\/unmanned\/2026\/07\/08\/pentagon-to-explore-cheaper-replacements-for-the-mq-9-reaper\/","title":{"rendered":"Pentagon to explore cheaper replacements for the MQ-9 Reaper"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Pentagon is exploring cheap, long-range drone options that may eventually replace the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/news\/your-military\/2026\/05\/21\/air-force-dubs-mq-9-the-mvp-of-epic-fury-as-lawmakers-press-manned-unmanned-future\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\" title=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/news\/your-military\/2026\/05\/21\/air-force-dubs-mq-9-the-mvp-of-epic-fury-as-lawmakers-press-manned-unmanned-future\/\">MQ-9 Reaper<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The search comes after dozens of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/news\/your-military\/2026\/06\/16\/mums-the-word-corps-stands-up-first-ever-marine-unmanned-maintenance-squadron\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\" title=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/news\/your-military\/2026\/06\/16\/mums-the-word-corps-stands-up-first-ever-marine-unmanned-maintenance-squadron\/\">MQ-9s<\/a> were swatted out of the sky during the Iran war, according to a May 13 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/news\/pentagon-congress\/2026\/05\/22\/congressional-report-tallies-42-us-aircraft-lost-or-damaged-in-operation-epic-fury\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\" title=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/news\/pentagon-congress\/2026\/05\/22\/congressional-report-tallies-42-us-aircraft-lost-or-damaged-in-operation-epic-fury\/\">Congressional Research Service report<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">With the Air Force currently possessing about 135 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.af.mil\/About-Us\/Fact-Sheets\/Display\/Article\/104470\/mq-9-reaper\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\"><u>Reapers<\/u><\/a> \u2014 which cost approximately <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/news\/pentagon-congress\/2025\/09\/02\/coast-guard-to-get-first-mq-9-drones\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\" title=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/news\/pentagon-congress\/2025\/09\/02\/coast-guard-to-get-first-mq-9-drones\/\">$30 million<\/a> apiece \u2014 such a loss rate is not sustainable, especially against a force like Iran, whose air defenses are less sophisticated than those of China or Russia. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe Joint Force\u2019s reliance on low-density, high-value \u2018exquisite\u2019 (&gt;$30 million) manned and unmanned aircraft is unsustainable against adversaries utilizing layered defenses enabled by increasingly low-cost antiaircraft capabilities,\u201d warned the Defense Innovation Unit <a href=\"https:\/\/www.diu.mil\/work-with-us\/submit-solution\/PROJ00626\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\"><u>solicitation<\/u><\/a> for a new drone, which the Pentagon wants to \u201cexecute missions that the MQ-9A performs today.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Rather than build a better Reaper, DIU is opting for an expendable replacement. The Massed Modular Aircraft, or MMA, project aims to develop a UAV designed to operate in such large numbers that it can absorb heavy losses and still overwhelm enemy defenses. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Particularly of interest is the size of the MMA. <a href=\"https:\/\/smallwarsjournal.com\/2026\/03\/31\/drone-warfare-ukraine-ai-swarms\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\"><u>Drone swarms<\/u><\/a> may be the next big thing in unmanned warfare, but generally those hordes are made up of small, inexpensive UAVs with limited range and payload. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But the DIU solicitation envisions a drone that has long range and a heavy payload \u2014 and is still inexpensive enough for mass production. The solicitation calls for a payload of at least 2,800 pounds, a bit less than the MQ-9\u2019s 3,800-pound capacity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The MMA should also have an unrefueled combat range of at least 2,300 nautical miles, according to the solicitation, and a one-way transfer range of at least 8,000 nautical miles. Additionally, the drone should reach speeds of at least 200 miles per hour and have the ability to operate from a 6,000-foot runway or improvised airstrips. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The DIU solicitation states that the drone should have \u201csufficient available size, weight, power (25kW), and cooling (5kW) to host a variety of internal and\/or external payloads,\u201d with a level of autonomous operations that would allow one operator to control several drones. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The solicitation does not specify the MMA\u2019s dimensions, though the specifications suggest a drone comparable in size to the MQ-9. It also did not list a desired price point, though presumably it would be less than the $30 million price tag of an MQ-9. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The timeline for the MMA project, meanwhile, is ambitious. DIU is calling for \u201cfull-scale prototype flight testing within 21 months of award, with a targeted Initial Operating Capability (IOC) in FY2031. IOC for MMA is envisioned as 20 mission-ready aircraft delivered to an operational unit, able to be deployed.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Pentagon solicitations continue to reflect a mindfulness of lessons from the Ukraine War, as well as the experiences during the Iran War. In both conflicts, the defender exhausted interceptors before the attacker ran out of drones. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cKeeping a constant airborne MMA presence to launch weapons, gather intelligence, perform electronic warfare missions, or relay communications will force an adversary to stay on the defensive,\u201d DIU said. \u201cThis relentless pressure will exhaust the adversary, forcing them to burn through expensive anti-aircraft missiles and resources faster than they can be replaced.\u201d <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Massed Modular Aircraft project aims to develop a drone that can operate in such large numbers that it can absorb losses and still overwhelm 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