Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
Swarm Pitches Gamera for New U.S. Drone Requirements
U.S. Air Force is seeking a more affordable replacement for MQ-9A Reapers
Swarm Aero Gamera drone
Swarm Aero is one of multiple drone developers looking to address the U.S. Air Force's requirement for a more affordable large drone.

Swarm Aero has unveiled its contender for the U.S. Air Force’s Massed Modular Aircraft requirement for a new-generation, large, long-range uncrewed aircraft system (UAS). At the Air & Space Forces Association’s Air, Space & Cyber conference on Monday, the start-up introduced the Gamera drone, which it claims will deliver a tenfold reduction in cost-per-effect compared with current platforms such as the General Atomics MQ-9A Reaper.

The Group 5 UAS is expected to have a payload of 2,800 pounds and be able to carry bomber-class strike munitions such as LRASM/JASSM-ER missiles. According to Swarm, it will have an unrefueled range of 9,000 nm and be powered by Honeywell Aerospace’s TPE331 turboprop engine.