Drone maker unveils ‘low-cost’ alternative to MQ-9 Reaper

California-based Swarm Aero on Monday unveiled a new low-cost unmanned aerial system capable of carrying a payload of more than 2,800 pounds.

The new UAS, dubbed Gamera, comes as the Air Force searches for risk-tolerant aircraft that can be produced cheaply and in large numbers as part of its new Massed Modular Aircraft, or MMA, program.

The company revealed the platform at the Air & Space Forces Association’s annual conference near Washington.

In a press release, the company said Gamera is the first UAS designed to carry bomber-class strike munitions such as the Long-Range Anti-Ship Missile, or LRASM, and Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile-Extended Range, or JASSM-ER, as well as other cruise and hypersonic missiles.

The company added that it “will be able to deliver all of the capabilities of the MQ-9, as well as employ payloads that the MQ-9 cannot, at a fraction of the price.”

Although Swarm did not give a specific price point, the company said comparable strike effects would cost 10 times less than existing platforms. The company also cited recent Defense Innovation Unit statements, calling existing systems “unsustainable.” The MQ-9 Reaper purportedly costs more than $30 million apiece.

Oliver Palmer, Swarm’s chief revenue officer and co-founder, explained that the design’s lower cost will enable the U.S. and partner nations to find other civil and commercial applications for the new UAS.

“The next few decades will see a continuous contest with China over global power projection, first focused near China over Taiwan, over time extending globally,” he said. “The [People’s Liberation Army] has built asymmetric ways to challenge our legacy force structure.”

Palmer added that “we cannot continue to pursue incremental improvements in legacy approaches and hope to protect U.S. interests and deter [the People’s Republic of China] coercion of our allies and partners.”

The Gamera is classified as a Group 5 UAS , the largest category of unmanned aircraft under the Defense Department’s classification system. The company said it has a roughly 72-foot wingspan and can fly 9,000 nautical miles before needing to refuel.

Swarm said it has invested tens of millions of dollars into Gamera’s design since it launched in 2022. Over the past four years, the company has been awarded millions in Defense Department contracts and raised more in investments .

The company described Gamera as “well positioned to support the generational transformation the Air Force is advancing with MMA.”

Daniel Terrill is a contributor to Military Times. He’s been reporting on military issues, the gun industry, and the outdoors for nearly two decades. Although writing is his passion, he’s been a Marine, police officer, and, perhaps the most dangerous job of his career, a substitute teacher.

总部位于加利福尼亚州的 Swarm Aero 公司周一推出了一款新型低成本无人机系统，能够携带超过 2800 磅的有效载荷。

这款名为“Gamera”的新型无人机系统，是美国空军在其新的大规模模块化飞机（MMA）计划中，寻求能够以低成本和大规模生产的风险承受能力飞机之际推出的。

该公司在华盛顿附近举行的空军与太空部队协会年会上发布了该平台。

该公司在一份新闻稿中表示，Gamera 是第一款设计用于携带轰炸机级打击弹药的无人机系统，例如远程反舰导弹（LRASM）和联合空对地防区外导弹增程型（JASSM-ER），以及其他巡航导弹和高超音速导弹。

该公司补充说，它“将能够提供 MQ-9 的所有功能，并且能够使用 MQ-9 无法使用的有效载荷，而价格却只有 MQ-9 的一小部分。”

虽然Swarm公司没有给出具体价格，但该公司表示，其打击效果与现有平台相比成本将降低10倍。该公司还援引了国防创新部门最近的声明，称现有系统“不可持续”。据称，MQ-9“死神”无人机的单价超过3000万美元。

Swarm 的首席营收官兼联合创始人 Oliver Palmer 解释说，该设计的成本较低，将使美国及其伙伴国家能够为这种新型无人机系统找到其他民用和商业应用。

他说：“未来几十年，中美两国将持续争夺全球力量投射权，最初可能集中在台湾附近，随着时间的推移，竞争将扩展到全球。解放军已经建立了非对称的作战方式来挑战我们传统的军事结构。”

帕尔默补充说，“我们不能继续在传统方法上进行渐进式改进，并希望以此保护美国利益，阻止中华人民共和国胁迫我们的盟友和伙伴。”

Gamera无人机被归类为第五类无人机系统（Group 5 UAS），这是美国国防部无人机分类系统中最大的一类。该公司表示，Gamera无人机的翼展约为72英尺（约22米），续航里程可达9000海里（约14000公里），无需加油。

Swarm公司表示，自2022年Gamera项目启动以来，已在Gamera的设计上投入了数千万美元。在过去的四年里，该公司获得了国防部数百万美元的合同，并筹集了更多投资。

该公司称，Gamera“完全有能力支持空军通过MMA推进的代际转型”。

丹尼尔·特里尔是《军事时报》的撰稿人。近二十年来，他一直报道军事问题、枪支行业和户外运动。虽然写作是他的挚爱，但他曾是一名海军陆战队员、一名警察，还做过一份或许是他职业生涯中最危险的工作——代课老师。