The US Air Force is seeking a modular and affordable replacement for the MQ-9 Reaper drone. According to Gen. John Lamontagne, the service's Vice Chief of Staff, a modular design would make the platform more flexible and adaptable to different mission sets.
The Air Force has laid out prospective requirements for the replacement, including a design that is easier to produce, lower-cost, and can be more freely sent into higher-risk environments.
The development of a Reaper replacement is becoming increasingly pressing due to the high rate of MQ-9 losses in recent conflicts, with the Air Force describing the attrition as concerning. The Reaper is currently out of production, and any new purchases would have to be of the evolved MQ-9B design.
