Swarm Aero unveils Gamera long-range unmanned aircraft

Swarm Aero has unveiled Gamera, a new Group 5 unmanned aircraft designed for long-range surveillance and strike missions. Unveiled at the Air, Space & Cyber Conference in Maryland, the aircraft features a 72-foot wingspan and is powered by a Honeywell TPE331 turboprop engine.

The Gamera is capable of flying more than 9,000 nautical miles without refueling and can carry over 2,800 pounds of payload across seven stations. The platform is designed to accommodate heavy long-range weapons, including LRASM, JASSM-ER, and potentially hypersonic missiles.

Swarm Aero is pitching the aircraft for the U.S. Air Force and Defense Innovation Unit’s Massed Modular Aircraft program. This initiative seeks lower-cost, modular unmanned systems that can be manufactured at high rates to perform missions currently handled by high-cost platforms like the MQ-9 Reaper. The design emphasizes attritability, allowing for swarm operations and the ability to sustain combat effectiveness even when facing losses.