After losing about $1 billion in Reaper drones over Iran, the US wants a disposable alternative

[midian182]

Ripple effect: The US campaign against Iran is estimated by one tracker to have cost over $113 billion, a figure that includes the loss of dozens of Reaper drones collectively worth about $1 billion. This has led to the Pentagon looking for cheaper hunter-killer drones that can be sacrificed without massive financial implications.

The Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), the Pentagon organization that pulls commercial tech into the military, has opened submissions for a project called Massed Modular Aircraft (MMA).

The plan is that the US wants a theater-range drone that is cheaper, modular, and built around the expectation that some will be lost.

DIU says the Joint Force's reliance on low-density, high-value "exquisite" aircraft costing more than $30 million is unsustainable when adversaries are using cheap anti-aircraft systems. As such, the military wants larger numbers of less-expensive unmanned aircraft that can push into contested airspace and remain useful even when losses mount.

DIU's ideal MMA would carry at least 2,800 pounds of payload, have a 2,300-nautical-mile unrefueled combat radius, self-deploy one-way for at least 8,000 nautical miles, and reach at least 200 knots (230 mph).

These specs don't exactly scream "budget drone," of course. For comparison, General Atomics says the MQ-9A Reaper can stay airborne for more than 27 hours, fly up to 50,000 feet, and carry 3,850 pounds. But it is slow, very expensive, and increasingly awkward where adversaries have modern air defenses.

Air Force officials told lawmakers in May that about two dozen MQ-9As had been lost during Operation Epic Fury against Iran. Other reports put the tally closer to 30. Depending on configuration, officials have said a Reaper can cost up to $50 million, and the MQ-9A production line was shut down in 2025.

The US has already started moving toward less wallet-destroying drones. Reuters reported in March that the Pentagon debuted the Low-Cost Uncrewed Combat Attack System, or LUCAS, in Iran just eight months after its unveiling. That drone costs around $35,000, uses open architecture, and is modeled after Iran's Shahed designs.

DIU wants a full-scale prototype flight within 21 months of an award, with initial operating capability in fiscal 2031. That means 20 mission-ready aircraft delivered to an operational unit.

Auterion's Nemyx system, a Pentagon contract for 33,000 AI-equipped strike kits, and plans to use an "unmanned hellscape" of drones to defend Taiwan have all point in the same direction, with drone warfare moving toward cheap, expendable units designed to overwhelm air defenses. When you're prepared to lose large numbers of drones, each one had better not cost a fortune.

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After losing about $1 billion in Reaper drones over Iran, the US wants a disposable alternative

 

[gingerbill]

Sounds a good but obvious idea.

For a long time its cost far too much to kill the enemy . The enemy could just let us bankrupt ourselves shooting at them .

Thanks for the article.

 

[yRaz]

Ratheon likes reaper drones being disposable. What grinds my gears about this is that we use drones in place of human piloted vehicles because we'd rather lose a drone than a pilot. While expensive, the drones ARE disposable by the nature of the roll they were supposed to play. And considering these are military contracts, you make something and then multiply the price by 20-50x

Also, maybe we shouldn't have given them $300B

 

[Gars]

You dont need something expensive like this
for the fraction of its price, you can make millions of mayfly's, that would be far more effective

 

[R00sT3R]

Ratheon likes reaper drones being disposable. What grinds my gears about this is that we use drones in place of human piloted vehicles because we'd rather lose a drone than a pilot. While expensive, the drones ARE disposable by the nature of the roll they were supposed to play. And considering these are military contracts, you make something and then multiply the price by 20-50x

Also, maybe we shouldn't have given them $300B

It's alot cheaper not to start dumb wars in the first place....

 

[NumberNine]

Moving the stock market is not cheap. If they want to make gains on the shortages, they'll need to footing the bill for holding the bottleneck in place.

 

[Endymio]

What grinds my gears about this is that we use drones in place of human piloted vehicles because we'd rather lose a drone than a pilot.

You'd rather lose a human life than a hunk of metal and carbon fiber?

And considering these are military contracts, you make something and then multiply the price by 20-50x

Translation: 'I saw it in a Hollywood movie; it must be true'.

Also, maybe we shouldn't have given them $300B

Ukraine, you mean? Or USAID?

It's alot cheaper not to start dumb wars in the first place....

The tens of thousands of civilians killed by Iran might disagree with you:

"Since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, the Iranian regime and its proxies have carried out hundreds of assassinations and mass bombing campaigns across more than 40 countries, leading to the designation of Iran as a primary state sponsor of terrorism by the U.S. State Department..."

Imagine what Iran would do, once they had nuclear weapons and ICBMs.

 

[toooooot]

The weapon industry had a huge breakthrough when cheap drones showed to be capable to destroy equipment that costs millions. Everything from now on will be becoming disposable.
The question is, how do they replace reapers without losing all the functionality and
ability to see what's on the ground so well. If you saw FPV hits in Ukraine, the video
quality is fairly bad because those are cheap drones.
What are they going to replace in "cheap reapers" to not compromise on what it does best?

 

[netman]

"DIU's ideal MMA would carry at least 2,800 pounds of payload, have a 2,300-nautical-mile unrefueled combat radius, self-deploy one-way for at least 8,000 nautical miles, and reach at least 200 knots (230 mph)."

Speaking of taking a lot of food in your mouth that you cannot chew...!

 

[The Talking Tech]

So it took Iran to teach the U.S.A a very expensive lesson courtesy of tax payer money for Trump to figure that he should had use cheaper materials?

The U.S.A might have the firepower upper hand but lacks the brains.

 

[wiyosaya]

You'd rather lose a human life than a hunk of metal and carbon fiber?


Translation: 'I saw it in a Hollywood movie; it must be true'.


Ukraine, you mean? Or USAID?


The tens of thousands of civilians killed by Iran might disagree with you:

"Since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, the Iranian regime and its proxies have carried out hundreds of assassinations and mass bombing campaigns across more than 40 countries, leading to the designation of Iran as a primary state sponsor of terrorism by the U.S. State Department..."

Imagine what Iran would do, once they had nuclear weapons and ICBMs.

Thanks for your typical propaganda and FUD.

Do you check under your bed for Iranians each night? Are you disappointed when you find only Trump under your bed?

 

[wiyosaya]

So it took Iran to teach the U.S.A a very expensive lesson courtesy of tax payer money for Trump to figure that he should had use cheaper materials?

The U.S.A might have the firepower upper hand but lacks the brains.

Unfortunately, Trump and Hegseth think they know everything, and Trump couldn't stand that someone else, other than he, previously negotiated an agreement with Iran. Trump seems to think that he can do better than everyone else, however, pretty much everything he touches turns into instant crap, IMO.

Take, for example, the "Washington Monument Reflecting Pool." After promising to "drain the swamp" he's literally created a swamp in the middle of the nation's capitol.

 

[axiomatic13]

More Whisky Pete failures. He is such an embarrassment on this nation.

 

[stewi0001]

Imagine, Amazon using reaper drones to deliver packages XD

 

[BumFarto]

You'd rather lose a human life than a hunk of metal and carbon fiber?


Translation: 'I saw it in a Hollywood movie; it must be true'.


Ukraine, you mean? Or USAID?


The tens of thousands of civilians killed by Iran might disagree with you:

"Since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, the Iranian regime and its proxies have carried out hundreds of assassinations and mass bombing campaigns across more than 40 countries, leading to the designation of Iran as a primary state sponsor of terrorism by the U.S. State Department..."

Imagine what Iran would do, once they had nuclear weapons and ICBMs.

You mean unlike the United States - assassinating democratically elected leaders, attacking foreign countries, killing civilians, having racist policies and politics for since 1776 and allowing allies/proxies to do all that and more.

Do not mistake military power for the moral high ground.

 

[user556]

Also, maybe we shouldn't have given them $300B

If you're referring to Iran there, then "given" is incorrect. It hasn't happened because, as per usual, Trump has lied again. He's reneged on everything in the MOU. Making his word worthless, his signature worthless.

The problem with playing silly-buggers is the oil is also not flowing.

 

[Endymio]

You mean unlike the United States - assassinating democratically elected leaders, attacking foreign countries, killing civilians, having racist policies and politics for since [sic] 1776 and allowing allies/proxies to do all that and more.

Do not mistake military power for the moral high ground.

These juvenile remarks always originate from those who've never lived in true regimes. If you're talking about the death of "Supreme Leader" Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, he wasn't "democratically elected". And where was your synthetic outrage when he was ordering his troops to hang teenagers in public squares, when he was ordering his troops to kill rape young women for daring to appear in public without hijabs, or killing tens of thousands of civilians for publicly protesting his policies?

If you're referring to Iran there, then "given" is incorrect. It hasn't happened because, as per usual, Trump has lied again. He's reneged on everything in the MOU.

Of course, that never happened. The MOU required Iran to stop attacking shipping in the Strait, and Iran continued to do so. According to the MOU, *zero* funds were due immediately -- any releases were contingent upon a period of good behavior.

The problem with playing silly-buggers is the oil is also not flowing.

Funny, enough oil is flowing that it's much cheaper than it was in 2022, when Biden's policies caused oil to hit $120/bbl.

 

[user556]

... The MOU required Iran to stop attacking shipping in the Strait, and Iran continued to do so. ...

A critical part of the deal was USA had to fulfill its obligations first. Iran is required to hold the strait closed until USA has done its part - which includes the removal of all Israeli presence in Lebanon. That's the deal.

Funny, enough oil is flowing ...

No it isn't. We're still drawing down huge amounts of reserves to prop things up.

 

[Endymio]

A critical part of the deal was USA had to fulfill its obligations first. Iran is required to hold the strait closed until USA has done its part which includes the removal of all Israeli presence in Lebanon. That's the deal.

Why post absurd disinformation like this? This doesn't even pass a basic sniff test. Iran was required to immediately and fully reopen the Strait: From the text of the MOU:

"5. Upon the signing of this MoU, the Islamic Republic of Iran will make arrangements using its best efforts for the safe passage of commercial vessels, with no charge for 60 days only, from the Persian Gulf to the Sea of Oman, and vice versa. The traffic of commercial vessels will immediately start...."

Not even Iran is claiming your nonsense: it's simply attempting to blame the US for renewed attacks inside Iran, despite those attacks being in response to Iran violating Clause 5 above.