General Atomics to Propose Clean-Sheet Drone for Pentagon Massed Modular Aircraft Project

General Atomics will propose a new clean-sheet aircraft for the Pentagon’s Massed Modular Aircraft project aimed at delivering a cheaper hunter-killer drone. Breaking Defense reported that the company’s response comes after the Defense Innovation Unit released a solicitation earlier this month for a drone to perform the MQ-9 Reaper’s surveillance and strike missions at a price below the Reaper’s $30 million per aircraft cost.

Dave Alexander, CEO of General Atomics’ aeronautics division, said Monday at the Farnborough Airshow that he is “1,000 percent confident” the company will hit a number within the price range specified by DIU.

He added that the Pentagon will need to relax its bid requirements for certified pricing to reach its lowest cost target. “I believe they put a silly goal in here for a low-end [cost],” Alexander told Breaking Defense. ” He further stated, “If you want a commercial product, then don’t put certified bid requirements on the product.

The DIU solicitation requires a drone with a payload capacity of at least 2,800 pounds and a range of at least 2,300 nautical miles while carrying that load. For one-way operations the required range extends to 8,000 nautical miles. Winning companies must build a full-scale prototype for flight testing within 21 months of the award, with initial fielding planned for fiscal 2031.

Alexander declined to provide details on the proposed design. “We’ll address them [the cost parameters], and I think we’ll be just fine,” he said. “This is what we do. ” The US Air Force’s 319th Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron operates the MQ-9 Reaper at Kadena and conducts airborne reconnaissance in coordination with Japan’s Ministry of Defense.