UAV Development & Drone Programs   General Atomics   Military Aircraft Procurement   Defense Industry & Major Contractors   Defense Policy & Military Strategy  

U.S. Air Force Seeks 2031 Family of Attritable Drones, Including an MQ-9 Reaper Successor and Advanced Target Systems

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The U.S. Air Force plans to field a more affordable, mass-producible successor to the MQ-9 Reaper by 2031 while developing a broader family of aerial targets. The systems would range from expendable quadcopters to reusable drones capable of mimicking fifth-generation fighters and UAV swarms.

Discovered 2026-08-18T05:28:11.299461-07:00 | 2026-08-18T05:28:11.299461-07:00

Briefing

What Hype is tracking

  • The Air Force is signaling a shift toward more affordable, attritable unmanned systems, with a stated 2031 target for an MQ-9 successor.
  • The proposed target-drone family spans expendable quadcopters and reusable platforms that can replicate fifth-generation fighters and UAV swarms, broadening requirements for training and threat-representation systems.
  • General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, the MQ-9A Reaper’s developer, is positioning new designs around the evolving MALE UAS market and the Air Force’s updated operational needs.

Reported By

defence-blog.com uasvision.com Aviation Week defence.in India Defense News wonderfulengineering.com
Sources Tracked
19
First Seen
2026-08-18T05:28:11.299461-07:00
Latest Update
2026-08-20T02:05:27.448413-07:00
Coverage
Defense

Sources

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