Full Breakdown
USAF Scrambles to Replenish MQ-9 Reaper Fleet Amid Heavy Losses and Pursues Modular “MQ-9 Next” Replacement
6/6/2026, 1:27:37 PM
Operational Losses Prompt Urgent Replenishment
Since January 2025 the Air Force has suffered substantial attrition of its MQ-9 Reaper fleet. Operation Epic Fury against Iran accounted for “nearly 30” Reapers lost, while separate reports cite “at least 24” MQ-9As destroyed in six weeks and “dozens” downed while targeting Iranian-backed Houthi militants in Yemen. The active inventory fell to roughly 135 aircraft, below the service’s minimal requirement of 189 and down from 165 at the start of FY 2026 and 231 at the start of FY 2025. The combined value of the downed drones is estimated at about $1 billion.
Immediate Procurement Effort
In response, the Air Force announced a short-term buy-back program for unused MQ-9A Block 5 airframes owned by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI). GA-ASI reported fewer than ten “new” MQ-9As available worldwide and confirmed that the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group (the “Boneyard”) holds no MQ-9s. The service also plans to refurbish decommissioned Reapers and to cannibalize parts from retired MQ-1 Predator drones—over 50 of which have already been sent to AMARG for spare-parts extraction. Funding to begin the acquisition process has been secured.
Official Statements & Responses
Lt. Gen. David Tabor, Deputy Chief of Staff for Plans and Programs, told Congress, “We’re looking at options to buy back as many of the MQ-9As as we possibly can right now,” adding that the effort is a “short-term … buy back … in this fiscal year.” He later noted the service is “concerned about how they’ve attrited.”
Gen. John Lamontagne, Vice Chief of Staff, described the envisioned successor as “more MQ-9-like … ‘MQ-9 Next’ … perhaps got more range, perhaps a lot more modularity,” and emphasized that “we could hang ISR sensors, we could hang weapons, we could hang fuel – something that we could line-in/ line-out, very modular.”
An unnamed Air Force chief praised the Reaper as “perhaps the most valuable player” in the air war against Iran.
Criticism & Opposition
General Atomics spokesperson C. Mark Brinkley cautioned that calls for “cheaper, disposable aircraft” risk overlooking “actual capability, ready today” and warned that “no one is talking about the multiple survivability upgrades available for the existing platforms and the lack of investment in those.”
Data & Statistics
- Reported MQ-9A losses: 24–30+ (multiple sources).
- Current fleet size: ~135 aircraft.
- Minimum required fleet: 189 aircraft.
- GA-ASI available new MQ-9As: <10 airframes; potential additional units from parts stock: up to 5.
- Funding secured for buy-back: undisclosed amount; FY 2027 budget requests $996.5 M for Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) procurement and $1.37 B for R&D, targeting >150 CCA units.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
Sources differ on the exact number of Reapers lost (24 vs 30 vs “dozens”) and on how many additional MQ-9As can be assembled from existing parts. No public inventory exists for MQ-9s in the Boneyard, and the timeline for any new production of MQ-9A-type airframes remains undefined.
What’s Next: MQ-9 Next and Collaborative Combat Aircraft
The Air Force is refining requirements for “MQ-9 Next,” emphasizing modular hardware, open-architecture software, and attritable design to enable high-risk missions. Parallel development of CCAs proceeds, with budgeted procurement and R&D aimed at fielding a fleet capable of operating in contested environments. Ongoing flight tests of the MQ-9B equipped with the LoyalEye AESA radar and of upgraded weapon integrations (e.g., APKWS rockets) will inform future capability decisions. The finalization of MQ-9 Next specifications and acquisition strategy remains pending.
Verbatim Quotes
- “We’re looking at options to buy back as many of the MQ-9As as we possibly can right now,” — Lt. Gen. David Tabor, USAF
- “we are concerned about how they’ve attrited.” — Lt. Gen. David Tabor, USAF
- “As we look forward in [sic] having something that is more MQ-9-like – I would characterize it as ‘MQ-9 Next’ – I think what we’d like to have is something that’s perhaps got more range, perhaps a lot more modularity,” — Gen. John Lamontagne, USAF
- “We could hang ISR [intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance] sensors, we could hang weapons, we could hang fuel – something that we could line-in/ line-out, very modular.” — Gen. John Lamontagne, USAF
- “Some say we need cheaper, disposable aircraft, so that we can use them and throw them away, or lose them and not feel bad about it. No one is talking about actual capability, ready today,” — C. Mark Brinkley, General Atomics
- “perhaps the most valuable player” — Air Force chief (praising MQ-9 Reaper)
