The U.S. Air Force plans 500 Massed Modular Aircraft (MMA) reconnaissance-and-strike drones by 2032 to take over missions flown by MQ-9A Reapers. Airandspaceforces.com reports the first 100 are targeted to fly by 2029, but builders have not been selected.
The Air Force is seeking a price of $10 million per MMA, compared with a reported $30 million per Reaper. The service has lost 45 Reapers—about 25% of its fleet—in combat operations over Iran.
Airandspaceforces.com reports General Atomics and Swarm Aero are among the contenders and that the fleet would include multiple models from different contractors. Air Force Secretary Troy Meink says that, if Congress provides funding, he plans to reach 500 by 2032 and then pursue production contracts at a much larger scale.
