General Atomics will propose a clean-sheet aircraft for the Pentagon’s Massed Modular Aircraft (MMA) project, aiming to develop a cheap hunter-killer drone. However, the CEO of its aeronautics division is skeptical that competing firms can achieve the lower end of the cost targets set by the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU).
The MMA challenge: Balancing MQ-9 Reaper performance with commercial pricing
Dave Alexander, president of General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, expressed extreme confidence that the legacy dronemaker can hit the DIU’s price range but warned that the Pentagon needs to relax certified pricing requirements to reach its lowest cost goals. Alexander described the low-end cost goals as „silly,” noting that any bid matching those numbers would be highly suspicious. The DIU solicitation seeks a drone capable of fulfilling the MQ-9 Reaper’s surveillance and strike missions at a price significantly lower than the $30 million per aircraft cost associated with the Reaper.
Ambitious technical requirements: A range of thousands of nautical miles
The Pentagon’s requirements for the MMA program are stringent: the drone must carry a payload of at least 2,800 pounds and have a range of at least 2,300 nautical miles while loaded. For one-way operations, the required range extends to 8,000 nautical miles. Winning companies are expected to build a full-scale flight prototype within 21 months, with the intent to field the drone by fiscal year 2031. General Atomics is relying on its 30 years of experience to deliver a product that meets these complex demands.
Ramping up production: General Atomics leans on automation for the FQ-42A program
Parallel to the MMA project, General Atomics is accelerating production for the Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) program, having already begun manufacturing the FQ-42A model. Unlike competitors still evaluating the benefits of automation, General Atomics has already integrated robotics directly into its production lines. The company aims to scale production to six aircraft per month by mid-2029 and is already in talks for international orders involving approximately 30 of these autonomous drones.
