Italy orders 2 new MQ-9As Reapers, as US seeks newer options

A U.S. Marine Corps MQ-9A Reaper with Marine Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Training Squadron (VMUT) 2, Marine Aircraft Group 14, 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing, lands at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina, June 10, 2026. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Michael Robinson)

MILAN — Italy has ordered two additional MQ-9A Reaper Block 5 drones from General Atomics, to be delivered at the end of 2027, despite concerns from the US Air Force over recent losses of the drone type in Iran.

“Italy has been a very important partner for GA-ASI for more than 20 years — the Italian Air Force has continued to be a leader in the utilization of MQ-9A to support a wide range of intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions in Italy, over the Mediterranean and in support of NATO operations,” David Alexander, president of GA-ASI, said in a press release.

Although no contract value was listed in the company announcement, it follows the Foreign Military Sale approval by the US State Department in August of 2024 for the procurement of up to six MQ-9 Block 5 aircraft and related equipment for an estimated cost of $738 million (€634 million).

Rome had previously ordered four Block 1 Reapers in 2008 and two more in 2009; however, it lost one of the drones in Libya in 2019, and another one was destroyed in March during an Iranian drone strike in Kuwait. The country is upgrading the remainder to the Block 5 standard under a contract signed with GA-ASI in 2021 worth $30.5 million .

The newest purchase comes against the backdrop of what the US Air Force has called “ concerning ” combat losses for its MQ-9 in Iran.

During a media briefing on Sept. 3 at the Pentagon, Lt. Gen. Christopher Niemi, the Air Force’s chief modernization officer, said that the service is looking to accelerate the replacement program for the drones.

“So we want to bring this thing forward because of the fact that, although we have plenty of MQ-9As today, we are going through them at a rate that is concerning to us,” he told reporters. According to a Washington Post report , as of August 2026, at least 45 Reapers had been lost since the start of Operation Epic Fury in February, representing a quarter of the US’ inventory.

MQ-9B and Gambit Series: Advancing European Defense Capabilities

GA-ASI will build Gambit aircraft in Europe, partnered with European-based companies, with airframes available for international procurement starting in 2027.

After the Pentagon briefing, General Atomics spokesman C. Mark Brinkley told Breaking Defense that the Reaper’s “unique combination of endurance, payload, range, sensors, weapons, connectivity, adaptability and reliability is precisely what enables mission effects that others struggle to replicate.”

2026年6月10日，隶属于美国海军陆战队第2航空联队第14航空大队第2海军陆战队无人机训练中队（VMUT）的MQ-9A“死神”无人机降落在北卡罗来纳州樱桃角海军陆战队航空站。（美国海军陆战队下士迈克尔·罗宾逊摄）

米兰——尽管美国空军对近期伊朗发生的MQ-9A“死神”无人机损失表示担忧，意大利仍向通用原子公司订购了两架MQ-9A“死神”Block 5型无人机，将于2027年底交付。

“20多年来，意大利一直是通用航空系统公司（GA-ASI）非常重要的合作伙伴——意大利空军一直处于MQ-9A无人机使用领域的领先地位，为意大利、地中海地区以及北约行动提供广泛的情报、监视和侦察任务，”通用航空系统公司总裁大卫·亚历山大在一份新闻稿中表示。

虽然公司公告中没有列出合同金额，但此前美国国务院于 2024 年 8 月批准了对外军售，采购至多 6 架 MQ-9 Block 5 飞机及相关设备，预计成本为 7.38 亿美元（6.34 亿欧元）。

罗马此前于2008年订购了四架Block 1型“死神”无人机，2009年又订购了两架；然而，其中一架于2019年在利比亚损失，另一架于今年3月在科威特的一次伊朗无人机袭击中被摧毁。根据2021年与通用原子航空系统公司（GA-ASI）签署的价值3050万美元的合同，罗马正在将剩余的无人机升级到Block 5标准。

此次最新采购的背景是美国空军称其MQ-9无人机在伊朗遭遇“令人担忧”的战斗损失。

9 月 3 日，在五角大楼举行的新闻发布会上，空军首席现代化官克里斯托弗·尼米中将表示，空军正在寻求加快无人机的更换计划。

“我们之所以要提前讨论这个问题，是因为虽然我们目前拥有大量的MQ-9A无人机，但它们的损耗速度却令人担忧，”他告诉记者。据《华盛顿邮报》报道，截至2026年8月，自2月份“史诗狂怒行动”开始以来，至少有45架“死神”无人机损失，占美国库存的四分之一。

MQ-9B 和 Gambit 系列：提升欧洲国防能力

通用航空飞机公司（GA-ASI）将与欧洲公司合作，在欧洲建造 Gambit 飞机，从 2027 年开始，飞机机身将可供国际采购。

在五角大楼简报会后，通用原子公司发言人 C·马克·布林克利告诉《防务新闻》，“死神”无人机的“续航能力、有效载荷、射程、传感器、武器、连接性、适应性和可靠性的独特组合，正是其能够实现其他无人机难以复制的任务效果的原因。”