IC Technology & Cyber — 2026-10-05

Air Force MQ-9 Reaper Successor Program Narrows to Seven Companies Including DARPA-Backed Otto Aerospace for 500-Drone Fleet by 2032

BLUFSeven firms advancing to prototype proposals for the MQ-9 successor will unlikely narrow to selected vendors by April 2027, pointing instead to a broad, multi-vendor competition through 2028.

Multiple sources confirmed to Air & Space Forces Magazine that the Air Force and Defense Innovation Unit narrowed the Massed Modular Aircraft field to seven firms, which were notified on September 30: Anduril, Chaos Industries, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Grid Aero, Otto Aerospace, Shield AI and Swarm Aero 1. The Air Force has not officially confirmed the list, and it is unclear how many firms bid 12. An industry source said each firm will now submit a prototype proposal 1. Secretary Troy Meink said on September 14 that the Air Force wants 500 MMAs by 2032, and service leaders said on September 3 they expect about $10 million per airframe before sensors 1. The War Zone reported that Otto has not shown an explicit MMA design, though it recently completed flight tests of a laminar-flow drone for DARPA that is too small to meet MMA requirements 2. Zona Militar, citing a congressional report, put MQ-9 losses against Iran at 24 aircraft 3.

Analysis
The Air Force is unlikely to cut the seven-company field to one or more selected vendors by April 5, 2027. Each firm must first submit a prototype proposal, and Defense Innovation Unit officials want a prototype within a year of award, so prototype contracts to several firms are the more probable next milestone, as with Collaborative Combat Aircraft. We have high confidence, though the list is unconfirmed by the service and the reporting traces to a single chain. Otto's inclusion without a shown MMA design suggests the field remains broad. Meink's push to accelerate fielding after the Iran losses may instead compress the schedule and force an early one- or two-vendor selection. A down-select would let six excluded firms redirect capital and winners lock in production planning, while prototype awards delay fleet-sizing and budget commitments.

3 sources

Air Force Names 7 to Vie for New MMA Drone Program - Air & Space Forces Magazine
Hunt For MQ-9 Reaper Successor Surprisingly Includes Exotic Aircraft Manufacturer Otto Aerospace - The War Zone
500 drones by 2032 at US$10 million each: this is the USAF's MMA program seeking to replace the MQ-9 Reaper - Zona Militar