WASHINGTON, D.C.— The U.S. Air Force is accelerating plans for a low-cost successor to the MQ-9A Reaper as combat losses increase pressure to field more affordable unmanned aircraft.
The service is targeting an air-vehicle price of about $10 million for each Massed Modular Aircraft (MMA), excluding sensors, weapons, and other mission equipment.
The new program is intended to deliver many of the intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and strike capabilities associated with the MQ-9A while allowing the Air Force to accept higher attrition.
The Pentagon in Washington, D.C. (WAS) has also directed officials to examine ways to accelerate the program after what senior officials described as concerning Reaper losses during recent operations against Iran.
$10 Million Drone Target Set For Future Fleet
The Air Force’s proposed MMA price is substantially below the estimated cost of a fully equipped MQ-9A Reaper, which can reach between $30 million and $50 million depending on its sensors, weapons and other equipment.
Lt. Gen. Christopher Niemi said the MMA target is intended to keep the aircraft close to half the expected cost of a future Collaborative Combat Aircraft, whose air-vehicle price the service hopes can eventually reach about $20 million.
The $10 million figure applies only to the basic air vehicle rather than a fully missionized aircraft. That distinction is important because the final cost will increase once sensors, weapons and other systems are added.
The Air Force is deliberately pursuing proven technology rather than an expensive clean-sheet aircraft.
Niemi said the service expects the MMA to retain a turboprop engine and a main-wing configuration broadly similar to the Reaper while accepting design compromises to reduce production costs.
MMA Performance Goals Set For Future Operations
Despite its lower price, the Massed Modular Aircraft is expected to perform demanding missions.
Current requirements call for at least 200 knots of true airspeed, a payload capacity of at least 2,800 pounds and an unrefueled combat radius of approximately 2,300 nautical miles with a payload.
The aircraft must also be capable of an 8,000-nautical-mile one-way self-deployment mission and operate from runways no longer than 6,000 feet.
Its modular design and open-architecture mission systems are intended to make future upgrades and new capabilities easier to integrate.
The concept reflects a wider shift in U.S. military drone planning toward aircraft that can be produced in larger numbers and replaced more easily.
The Air Force has emphasized that future conflicts could require greater mass and the ability to continue operations despite losses.
Reaper Losses Drive Major Operational Changes Ahead
The urgency behind the program has grown as the Air Force faces significant MQ-9A attrition.
The service’s Reaper inventory had fallen to 135 aircraft by May, compared with 165 at the beginning of Fiscal Year 2026, while recent combat operations against Iran have reportedly resulted in losses numbering in the dozens.
The Air Force initially planned to have 20 MMA aircraft operational by fiscal 2031, but officials are now seeking to move that schedule forward.
The service ultimately expects to acquire at least 180 aircraft, although officials acknowledge that developing and fielding the new system will still take several years.
General Atomics, the manufacturer behind the MQ-9, is also pursuing the opportunity with its proposed Wildfire drone, TWZ reported.
However, the MMA competition is expected to involve a broader group of manufacturers as the Air Force seeks a new generation of affordable, modular and mass-producible unmanned aircraft.
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