General Atomics unveils Wildfire drone to succeed MQ-9 Reaper

General Atomics has unveiled the first renderings of its Wildfire drone, a long-range modular combat aircraft designed to compete for the U.S. Massed Modular Aircraft (MMA) program. The platform is intended to succeed the MQ-9 Reaper by shifting toward lower-cost, distributed operations that utilize stand-off weapons and massed employment.

Designed to meet requirements from the Defense Innovation Unit, the Wildfire aims for a payload of at least 2,800 lbs, a combat radius of 2,300 nautical miles, and a ferry range exceeding 8,000 nautical miles. The aircraft is intended to carry either four Joint Strike Missiles (JSM) or two AGM-158C Long Range Anti-Ship Missiles (LRASM).

The program seeks to reduce unit costs, with a target price below $10 million per air vehicle before sensors and mission systems are included. The Wildfire will utilize distributed low-earth orbit satellite communications and autonomous control capabilities to allow dozens of drones to operate in a networked environment. The U.S. Air Force is looking to accelerate its acquisition timeline for these capabilities, potentially aiming for initial operational capability two years earlier than previously planned.