The US Air Force is exploring a cheaper and potentially expendable unmanned aircraft to complement or eventually replace the MQ-9 Reaper. The proposed Massed Modular Aircraft (MMA) is being designed around a target cost of approximately $10 million per aircraft, with plans to procure at least 180 platforms.
The initiative has gained urgency following significant Reaper losses during recent combat operations. Reports indicate that 45 MQ-9 Reapers were lost during the Iran war, representing roughly one-quarter of the fleet and more than $1 billion in aircraft value. With MQ-9 production having ended in 2025, the Air Force is seeking a more affordable alternative capable of operating in contested environments.
Air Force Lieutenant General Christopher Niemi described the Reaper loss rate as “concerning,” with the attrition accelerating discussions over a successor capability.
The proposed MMA is expected to perform many of the missions currently assigned to the Reaper, including persistent intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR), targeting, and strike operations. However, the key objective is to deliver these capabilities at a substantially lower acquisition cost.
The Air Force’s concept is based on a massed approach, in which a larger number of relatively inexpensive aircraft could be deployed rather than relying heavily on a smaller fleet of costly platforms. This would allow commanders to continue missions even if several aircraft were lost to enemy air defences or other threats.
The $10 million target represents a major reduction compared with the commonly cited cost of a fully equipped MQ-9A. Depending on sensors, weapons, communications equipment, and other mission systems, an MQ-9A can cost approximately $30–50 million or more in a complete operational configuration.
However, the $10 million MMA target should not be interpreted as the total cost of a fully mission-equipped aircraft. The figure is intended primarily for the air vehicle itself and does not include mission-specific equipment. Sensors, communications systems, weapons interfaces, and other payloads could add hundreds of thousands or even several million dollars to the final procurement cost.
The MMA concept therefore reflects a broader shift in US military aviation toward affordable mass, attritable platforms, and distributed operations. Rather than protecting a small number of expensive aircraft at all costs, the Air Force is seeking systems that can absorb losses while maintaining sufficient combat capacity to complete the mission.
If successful, the programme could provide the US Air Force with a more sustainable UAV capability for contested environments while reducing the financial impact of combat losses compared with relying exclusively on high-value platforms such as the MQ-9 Reaper.
