Story perspectives

USAF Buys Spare MQ-9 Drones After $1B Losses

6/6/2026

Summary

USAF Acquires Drones

On June 5 2026 the U.S. Air Force said it will buy unused MQ-9A Block 5 drones from General Atomics.
Nearly 30 MQ-9 Reapers were lost in Operation Epic Fury and at least 24 in six weeks, a loss valued at $1 billion.
FY 2027 budget requests $996.5 million for CCA procurement and $1.37 billion for R&D to field over 150 MQ-9s, with Gen. John Lamontagne saying “MQ-9 Next” will emphasize modular hardware, longer range and low-cost attritable design.

Summary

Eurodrone Funding

Eurodrone’s €7 billion ($7.6 billion) budget for 20 systems aims flight in 2027 and service by 2031.
France may quit programme, warned by Defence Minister Sébastien Lecornu in October 2025, costing as much as completing it.
Saab and General Atomics flew LoyalEye AESA radar on an MQ-9B at Desert Horizon, California May 19 using SATCOM detection.
Tests proved the MQ-9A can launch APKWS rockets, including FMU-178 fuze version FALCO, enhancing counter-drone and air-defence capability.

History

Historical Context

After the USAF fielded its first MQ-9 Reaper in 2007, the fleet grew from nine aircraft that year to 57 by December 2010 and a $377.4 million contract for 24 Block 5 drones in 2013. Seeing this expansion, allies such as France (2013) and Spain (2015) placed their own orders, cementing the Reaper as a cornerstone of modern attritable combat strategy.

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USAF Acquires Drones

On June 5 2026 the U.S. Air Force said it will buy unused MQ-9A Block 5 drones from General Atomics.
Nearly 30 MQ-9 Reapers were lost in Operation Epic Fury and at least 24 in six weeks, a loss valued at $1 billion.
FY 2027 budget requests $996.5 million for CCA procurement and $1.37 billion for R&D to field over 150 MQ-9s, with Gen. John Lamontagne saying “MQ-9 Next” will emphasize modular hardware, longer range and low-cost attritable design.

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