This Potential MQ-9 Reaper Replacement Is An Inexpensive And Capable Platform

The General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper began flying for the U.S. military in 2007, featuring in Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Enduring Freedom, and several others. While the MQ-9 remains in service as of this writing, it's on the verge of being replaced, with several candidates revealed in recent years. The newest potential replacement for the MQ-9 Reaper is Swarm Aero's Gamera, which is a Group 5 uncrewed aerial system (UAS).

Group 5 is the U.S. military classification for any drone weighing more than 1,320 pounds and which operates above 18,000 feet. While General Atomics Aeronautical has already introduced successors to the MQ-9, namely the MQ-9B SkyGuardian and SeaGuardian, the Department of Defense is still looking for a full platform replacement, which led Swarm Aero to develop Gamera.

General Atomics announced a proper replacement for the MQ-9, which it dubbed the MQ-Next, in 2022, though that potential design differs significantly from the Gamera. Swarm Aero's UAS appears easier to produce, costs less than the MQ-9, and can carry a payload of over 2,800 pounds, which is only 200 pounds less than the MQ-9. These advances suggest that Swarm Aero's latest creation could be the U.S.' combat UAS of the future.

The Gamera UAS is a large aircraft, boasting a 72-foot wingspan. It has an unrefueled range of 10,357 miles and a combat radius of 2,300 miles. One key factor in the Gamera's bid to replace the MQ-9 Reaper is cost: Swarm Aero claims a cost of $10 million per aircraft, significantly cheaper than the $30 to $50 million of a single MQ-9 Reaper. Swarm Aero's press release touts a "10X lower cost-per-effect" compared to legacy strike systems.

Swarm Aero calls its new UAS a Massed Modular Aircraft (MMA), and modularity is key in its design. This enables Gamera to carry a wide variety of payloads, including some the Reaper can't. It will be able to carry the AGM-158B JASSM-ER long-range anti-ship missile or its predecessor, the AGM-158 joint air-to-surface standoff missile (JASSM) strike munitions. It will also be able to carry hypersonic missiles, which the U.S. currently lacks, once they're ultimately added to the inventory. 

Swarm Aero claims that the Gamera's combination of cost, payload, and range is unique among drones, so it should be a massive boon for the U.S. That said, the Air Force has other options from the Massed Modular Aircraft program, so it's anyone's guess whether the Gamera UAS will indeed replace the MQ-9 Reaper. We'll find out sooner rather than later, though, as reports suggest the Air Force has stepped up the timeline and intends to field the MQ-9's replacements before 2031.