WASHINGTON, D.C. — Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink directed officials to accelerate the Massed Modular Aircraft program in response to combat losses and the approaching end of the MQ-9 Reaper's service life. 'We want to bring this thing forward because of the fact that, although we have plenty of MQ-9As today, we are going through them at a rate that is concerning to us,' Air Force chief modernization officer Christopher Niemi said. '"As we get to the end of the MQ-9 life, there was some early talk of where do we want to go afterwards. And candidly, as a result of some of the losses that we’ve experienced in combat operations, that discussion sort of got accelerated."'

The Air Force initiated the MMA program in July. The Air Force is working with the Defense Innovation Unit on the Massed Modular Aircraft (MMA) program. The Defense Innovation Unit is a technological research agency of the United States Department of Defense.

The Air Force plans to field at least 180 MMA drones. The target air vehicle price for each MMA drone is about $10 million. The $10 million price estimate for the MMA drone does not include sensors, weapons, or other mission equipment.

The MQ-9A Reaper drone costs between $30 million and $50 million depending on sensor and weapons configuration. The MQ-9A Reaper drone is built by General Atomics. Production of the MQ-9A Reaper ceased last year.

Maj. Gen. Joseph Kunkel, DIU military deputy, stated the Defense Innovation Unit intends to get to a prototype within a year and fielded at scale within three years. The Defense Innovation Unit's original solicitation for the MMA program stated the Air Force wanted a full-scale prototype ready within 21 months of awarding contracts. The Defense Innovation Unit's original solicitation for the MMA program stated the goal was to have 20 operational drones ready by fiscal 2031.

The MMA drone will likely feature a high-aspect-ratio wing and a turboprop engine. The MMA drone is expected to have a range in the 4,000-mile class. The DIU solicitation called for a payload of at least 2,800 pounds and a range of 8,000 nautical miles.

Why It Matters

The loss of 45 drones represents a portion of the existing fleet, prompting a shift in acquisition strategy toward cheaper, modular platforms. The Air Force aims to balance capability with cost by leveraging existing architectures and accepting shorter service lives for the new aircraft.

The accelerated timeline seeks to deliver prototypes within a year, addressing immediate operational needs while managing budget constraints that prevent large-scale purchases of existing models. This approach reflects a broader effort to reduce unit costs for unmanned systems across the department.

Timeline

Operation Epic Fury began in February. The Air Force initiated the MMA program in July.

The Defense Department lost 45 MQ-9 Reaper drones during Operation Epic Fury against Iran as of August 13. The 45 lost MQ-9 Reaper drones represent approximately 25 percent of the Defense Department's entire MQ-9 fleet.

What's New

Later reporting included statements from Air Force officials regarding budget constraints and procurement realities. Niemi said he cannot buy an MMA today, noting that budget and other constraints mean the Air Force will not buy many MQ-9Bs either. He added that there is a misconception that because the MQ-9B is in production, the Air Force could immediately purchase 100 of them, but that is not realistic.

Maj. Gen. Joseph Kunkel stated the Defense Innovation Unit intends to get to a prototype within a year and fielded at scale within three years. Industry perspectives were also included in later reports.

Brinkley said the Reaper’s unique combination of endurance, payload, range, sensors, weapons, connectivity, adaptability and reliability enables mission effects that others struggle to replicate. He added that the company can deliver years earlier and maintain high quality, offering everything that makes the Reaper special plus more at a lower cost.

How Sources Differ

Sources provided different details regarding the Modular Aircraft program. The U.S. Air Force announcement stated the U.S. Air Force is accelerating the Massed Modular Aircraft (MMA) program to replace the MQ-9 Reaper drone following combat losses. The U.S. Air Force acquisition strategy noted the Air Force plans to leverage government-owned reference architecture from the Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) program for the MMA drone.