[REVISION HISTORY]

US military MQ-9 Reaper replacement efforts

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2026-09-05 17:43 UTC → 2026-09-10 10:38 UTC · added ~~removed~~

The United States military is seeking to replace the MQ-9 Reaper unmanned aerial system with more cost-effective, modular alternatives following significant fleet attrition in recent conflicts. General Atomics has ~~introduced~~ unveiled the ~~‘Wildfire’,~~ first renderings of its ‘Wildfire’ drone, a medium-altitude, long-endurance ~~drone~~ combat aircraft designed for the Defense Innovation Unit’s Massed Modular Aircraft (MMA) program. ~~This system~~ The platform is intended to support semi-autonomous swarm operations and distributed, networked environments using low-earth orbit satellite communications. To support strike missions, the Wildfire can carry either four Joint Strike Missiles (JSM) or two AGM-158C ~~long-range anti-ship missiles.~~ Long Range Anti-Ship Missiles (LRASM). Parallel to these developments, the US Air Force is pursuing the Mass Modular Air Vehicle (MMA) initiative. The service aims for a unit cost of approximately $10 million per vehicle—a substantial reduction from the $30 million to $50 million cost of the MQ-9 Reaper. The ~~Air Force~~ Wildfire is designed to meet these requirements ~~for the new platform include~~ with a minimum airspeed of 200 knots, a payload capacity of at least 2,800 pounds, and ~~an unrefueled~~ a combat radius of at least 2,300 nautical ~~miles~~ miles. Additionally, the aircraft is intended to ~~support intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, and strike missions.~~ have a ferry range exceeding 8,000 nautical miles. The Air Force is looking to accelerate its acquisition timeline, potentially aiming for initial operational capability two years earlier than previously planned.

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