DoD scrambles for new drone plans as Iran shoots down costly Reapers
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- Iran has shot down about 30 MQ-9 Reaper drones, leaving roughly 135 in the U.S. military fleet — at $30 million apiece, close to $1 billion in losses, despite earlier assurances that drones would be cheap.
- On July 7, the Pentagon conceded the Reaper costs too much and announced a replacement program called MMA (Massed Modular Aircraft), designed to deploy large, risk-tolerant drone swarms — but gave contractors only 16 days to respond.
- On July 9, the Pentagon signed directed-energy weapon deals with Lockheed and nLIGHT totaling $86 million initially, potentially rising to $847 million, aimed at frying incoming enemy drone swarms and cruise missiles.
- Scott Amey, general counsel at the Project on Government Oversight, warned that using Other Transaction Authority for these laser contracts bypasses normal procurement rules and is 'a recipe for disaster.'
- The Air Force announced July 9 that each B-21 Raider cockpit will carry two pilots, despite earlier consideration of uncrewed or single-pilot operations, because missions like the B-2's recent nonstop 37-hour bombing raids against Iran require a full crew.
- Emil Michael, the ex-Uber executive now overseeing Pentagon research, framed the laser deals as essential to 'actively defend the homeland against emerging threats.'
Why it matters: The Pentagon is losing roughly $1 billion in Reapers in the Iran conflict while simultaneously awarding up to $847 million in laser weapon contracts — a costly two-front bet that still hasn't solved its drone dilemma. The new MMA program asks contractors to respond in just 16 days and uses procurement mechanisms that bypass standard federal contracting rules, raising oversight concerns even as the military insists the Reaper was the 'most valuable player' against Iran.
