Pentagon seeks cheaper armed drones after Reaper losses in Iran
The Defense Innovation Unit wants lower-cost aircraft for Reaper-style missions as Iran combat losses strain the Air Force fleet.
By Hana Yoshida · Markets Reporter
3 min read
The Pentagon is asking industry for cheaper armed drones that can take on MQ-9A Reaper-style missions while accepting heavier combat losses. The push follows the destruction of dozens of Reapers in the Iran war, with Bloomberg putting the taxpayer cost at about $1 billion.
In a solicitation to companies, the Defense Innovation Unit said the military’s dependence on drones and crewed aircraft costing more than $30 million each is becoming too expensive against opponents using layered air defenses and cheaper anti-aircraft weapons. The unit said it wants lower-cost aircraft that can help saturate enemy defenses even if many are shot down.
Reaper losses drive a new procurement push
The Air Force has leaned on MQ-9A Reapers for dangerous surveillance and strike missions in Iranian airspace, according to Ars Technica. Kenneth Wilsbach, the Air Force chief of staff, described the Reaper as the service’s “most valuable player” in the war against Iran, Air & Space Forces Magazine reported.
That use has come with heavy attrition. Air & Space Forces Magazine reported that the U.S. military had lost nearly 30 Reapers by May 2026, including aircraft destroyed on the ground in Iranian counterstrikes. The Air Force Times reported that the losses reduced the fleet to about 135 aircraft.
Bloomberg reported that the destroyed Reapers were worth roughly $1 billion. A Reaper typically costs about $30 million, while the Air Force has said a version fitted with a full sensor package can cost as much as $50 million.
The conflict has continued despite ceasefire periods and negotiation attempts, the Associated Press reported. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed on July 8 that it had shot down another Reaper after new Iranian strikes on commercial shipping prompted additional U.S. airstrikes, according to i24NEWS.
What the Pentagon wants
The Defense Innovation Unit’s notice calls for aircraft able to carry varied sensor and weapons loads of up to 2,800 pounds. It also asks for a combat radius of at least 2,300 nautical miles, or 8,000 nautical miles for a one-way strike mission.
The solicitation says the aircraft should be able to perform missions now handled by the MQ-9A Reaper. The unit is seeking delivery of 20 mission-ready aircraft by 2031.
General Atomics stopped building Reapers for the U.S. military in 2025, according to Ars Technica. A company executive told Breaking Defense that General Atomics is interested in the new contract opportunity and indicated the company could offer a lower-cost Reaper successor.
The Pentagon’s approach echoes tactics Ukraine has used against Russia, according to the Institute for the Study of War and Ars Technica. Ukraine has launched large numbers of relatively inexpensive drones and missiles against Russian supply lines, oil refineries, energy sites and industrial targets, while also damaging advanced Russian air defense systems, the reports said.
The Defense Department is seeking about $54 billion in its fiscal 2027 budget for drones and autonomous warfare technologies, according to Ars Technica. The proposal signals a shift toward aircraft the military can buy in larger numbers for missions where losses are expected.
This story draws on original reporting from Ars Technica.