Air Force to buy 500 cheaper drones alongside Anduril's advanced fighters
The U.S. Air Force is launching a separate $5 billion program for lower-cost reconnaissance drones called Massed Modular Aircraft to complement the Collaborative Combat Aircraft that Anduril and General Atomics are building.
What happened
The Air Force plans to acquire 500 Massed Modular Aircraft (MMA) drones by 2032 to supplement the 500 advanced Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) it is already buying from Anduril and General Atomics. The MMAs will replace General Atomics' MQ-9A Reaper drones, which have suffered significant losses in combat operations. The Air Force aims to buy MMAs at roughly $10 million each—one-third the cost of Reapers—with the first 100 operational by 2029.
The MMA program is expected to be more competitive than the CCA awards. General Atomics and Swarm Aero are reported to be among the contenders, and the Air Force plans to select multiple contractors to build different MMA designs. Air Force Secretary Troy Meink indicated the service may place small initial orders with several companies to test designs before scaling up production.
Background
The Air Force has two parallel drone modernization efforts. The Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) program, which awarded $10 billion in production contracts to Anduril (for its Fury) and General Atomics in 2026, focuses on advanced, autonomous jets that will fly alongside crewed F-35 fighters. The separate MMA program targets a lower-cost, more expendable reconnaissance-and-strike platform to replace aging Reapers. The Reaper fleet has lost approximately 45 aircraft—about 25% of the total—in combat operations, each representing a $30 million loss.
What to watch next
Watch for formal MMA contract awards beginning in 2027–2028, with the first test flights likely by 2029. Future announcements will clarify which contractors win initial production slots and whether the program adheres to the multi-vendor, staged approach outlined by Air Force leadership.
Sources
- Original report: Anduril Isn't the Only Private Defense Contractor Building Advanced Air Force Drones (AOL.ca, Sep 27, 2026) Other outlet
- fool.com: Anduril Isn't the Only Private Defense Contractor Building Advanced Air Force Drones Other outlet
Written by Anduril News with AI assistance from the original report and other coverage, in plain English. It can contain mistakes; check the original for anything important. How we write these.
