UAV Development & Drone Programs   General Atomics   Missile Systems & Strategic Weapons   Defense Industry & Major Contractors  

USAF and GA-ASI test APKWS integration on MQ-9A Reaper, demonstrating low-cost drone-kill capability against air and ground targ

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI) and the U.S. Air Force completed flight testing of the Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS) on the MQ-9A Reaper. The demonstrations included engagement of aerial targets using inexpensive air-to-air missiles/rockets, and successful test shots against both air and ground targets as the Air Force pursues cost-effective counter-UAS options.

Discovered 2026-05-11T13:28:07.861074-07:00 | 2026-05-11T13:28:07.861074-07:00

Briefing

What Hype is tracking

  • Validates practical weapons integration for GA-ASI’s MQ-9A, advancing the ability to equip Reaper for counter-drone/air-to-air and air-to-ground effects with APKWS.
  • Reinforces the Air Force’s stated emphasis on “cost-effective” engagements against inexpensive drones—useful for planning future inventory, training, and operational concepts for uncrewed ISR-to-strike missions.
  • Builds on broader GA-ASI unmanned-defense momentum, including earlier DARPA work on LongShot and other GA-ASI autonomy/munitions integration efforts (e.g., DARPA designates LongShot as X-68A).

Reported By

forcaaerea.com.br defcrosnews.com aereo.jor.br defensearabia.com aviation-defence-universe.com news.ssbcrack.com
Sources Tracked
31
First Seen
2026-05-11T13:28:07.861074-07:00
Latest Update
2026-05-15T17:32:06.945358-07:00
Coverage
Defense

Sources

Hype groups these reports into one evolving story so you can compare coverage without losing the thread.

2026-05-11T16:19:50.894520-07:00

Munitions • FlightGlobal

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