Industry
US seeks cheaper hunter-killer drones after Iran destroys $1B worth of Reapers
The US military has lost dozens of MQ-9 Reaper drones worth more than $1 billion during operations over Iran, prompting the Pentagon to seek large numbers of cheaper alternatives expected to survive p
The US military has lost dozens of MQ-9 Reaper drones worth more than $1 billion during operations over Iran, prompting the Pentagon to seek large numbers of cheaper alternatives expected to survive potential combat losses. Military leadership determined that reliance on expensive, low-density aircraft is "unsustainable" against layered adversary air defenses and requires deployment of large numbers of expendable drones designed to be replaceable in combat.
Source: Ars Technica | 2026-07-08