Image source: topwar.ru
Due to the huge losses of MQ-9A Reaper drones in the conflict with Iran (at least 45 out of about 185), the US Air Force is looking for new, cheaper combat drones to perform the same tasks (the price of a fully equipped Reaper ranges from $ 30 to 50 million), launching a corresponding program in July 2026. General Atomics has revealed a number of details regarding the Wildfire medium-altitude and long-duration UAV (MALE category), which is being developed in response to new requirements from the American command.
The shape of the Wildfire and the presence of a pusher propeller clearly indicate that it is a continuation of the existing MQ-9 family. The new drone has a sensor turret under the nose and a large antenna under the rear fuselage. The Wildfire is noticeably missing the characteristic Reaper protrusion on the front of the fuselage.
This is due to the transition to communication with low-orbit satellite groupings (such as Starlink or SDA), the signal from which is hundreds of times more powerful. To work with them, you no longer need a huge rotating dish that was hidden in the "hump" of the Reaper. It is likely that conformal antennas are installed instead, which are integrated into the contours of the fuselage.
The missiles are placed outside, as on the Reaper, under the wing consoles. The developer announced the equipment of the drone 2 AGM-158C LRASM (with a range of more than 370 km and weighing over 1000 kg) or 4 JSM (more than 350 km, 416 kg). In this regard, the developer noted:
The design allows you to quickly replace weapons modules with electronic warfare and RTR systems. In this configuration, Wildfire can turn into a "stealth" silencer that blinds enemy radars or reveals their locations.
The enormous flight range of 10,000 nautical miles (more than 16,000 km) claimed for Wildfire allows the device to make a non-stop flight, for example, from the coast of the United States to Asia and back. At the same time, nothing is known about the engine yet. The main tactical goal of such a distance is to "overcome the tyranny of distance."
MQ-9A Reaper:
Image source: topwar.ru
The war with Iran has shown the vulnerability of the "Forward Operating Bases" concept. After the defeat of the main operational base of the US Navy's Fifth Fleet in Bahrain, the logistical leverage increased by thousands of miles, which, in particular, caused a supply crisis for the strike group led by the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln. This apparently forced the Pentagon, among other things, to reconsider the requirements for the flight range of aircraft, which affected the range of operation of Wildfire.
Due to the long flight duration, Wildfire will be able to patrol in a given area for a long time, waiting for the target to appear, which reduces the need for drone rotation.
Equipping the Wildfire with advanced AI only allows the operator to issue a global task (for example, "patrol the square and look for ships"), and the drone will calculate the entire route, bypass the air defense and target distribution independently.
The devices will be able to exchange data directly with each other via satellite communication, coordinating a "flock" attack from different directions in order to overload the enemy's air defenses. The developer stated about this:
The company claims that the price of a fully combat–ready Wildfire, taking into account all modern electronics, is guaranteed to stay in the range of up to $ 30 million, which is 1.5-2 times cheaper than the Reaper. Although this cost is unlikely to transfer the new UAV to the attritable category, that is, products that the budget can easily transfer without compromising national security.
General Atomics declined to give a direct answer to the question of whether the airframe already exists "in metal." However, it was pointed out that the company uses "next-generation digital design" and ready-rolled components from its other programs (such as Gambit and Avenger). This allows the developer to reduce the time required to create a prototype.:
