The verified answer
As of Aug 2026, DEPLOY verifies General Atomics: 1 model, 1 deployment across 1 region, 3 active incidents. 1 source back the record.
CategoryDrones
Overview
General Atomics is a San Diego-based American defense and energy corporation that develops the MQ-9 Reaper (Predator B) medium-altitude long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicle. The MQ-9 has over 27 hours endurance, speeds of 240 KTAS, operates up to 50,000 feet, and carries a 3,850 lb payload. General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI) is the leading manufacturer of military drone systems for the US and allied forces.
Verified record
- Verified deployments
- 1 deployment on file
- Active incidents
- 3 incidents on file
Key facts
Product
MQ-9 endurance
MQ-9 ceiling
MQ-9 payload
Division
Data & sources
Web sources
1
1 source backing this record.View all →
Models (1)
View all models →General Atomics on the deployment map
View the global map1 verified deployment across 1 region, newest verified May 2007. Explore where General Atomics's robots are operating, by place and type.
View the full General Atomics deployment record →
Relationships
Current leadership (3)
- Neal Blue Chairman & CEO
- Linden Blue Vice Chairman
- David Alexander President of General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI)
Safety record
3 incidents on record. Most recent: May 2026.
Most recent: May 2026
Only active incidents are counted. Retracted incidents are excluded from this summary but remain reachable at their canonical URLs.
Full safety record: incidents, sourcing, and exposure data →
Incidents affecting General Atomics (3)
- MQ-9A Reaper shot down by Houthi rebels over Yemen2026-05-29 · Other
via MQ-9 Reaper
- USAF MQ-9 Reaper crashed off the coast of South Korea2025-11-24 · Malfunction
via MQ-9 Reaper
- MQ-9 Reaper crashed into Mediterranean Sea after propeller decoupled mid-flight2024-12-16 · Malfunction
via MQ-9 Reaper
Includes incidents linked directly to this company, to its models, or to deployments of its models or under its operation. Retracted incidents are excluded from this view but remain reachable at their canonical URLs.
Operator customers (1)
- General Atomics1 deployment
Recent coverage
General Atomics in third-party press
Peer companies
- Anduril Industries7 models
- DJI7 models
- Amazon4 models
- Autel Robotics4 models
- Baykar4 models
- Earendil Robotics4 models
Financial state
- Reporting basis
- private_reported
- Lifecycle stage
- mature
- Counterparty risk class
- low
Each numeric field carries its own basis marker. Aggregators report a number; this surface preserves the source class so verification depth travels with the value.
Recent activity
Every change to this record is dated, sourced, and independently verified where marked.
- Record createdJun 27, 2026
Added to the verified registry
- Incident recordedMay 29, 2026
MQ-9A Reaper shot down by Houthi rebels over Yemen
- Incident recordedNov 24, 2025
USAF MQ-9 Reaper crashed off the coast of South Korea
- Incident recordedDec 16, 2024
MQ-9 Reaper crashed into Mediterranean Sea after propeller decoupled mid-flight
- Deployment verifiedVerifiedMay 1, 2007
MQ-9 Reaper at United States Air Force (global operations)
Sources (1)
Common questions
What is General Atomics?
What does General Atomics make?
Who competes with General Atomics?
Who is the CEO of General Atomics?
Where is General Atomics headquartered?
Where does General Atomics operate robots?
How many robots has General Atomics deployed?
Is General Atomics a top robotics company?
When was General Atomics founded?
Are there any incidents involving General Atomics?
Is General Atomics safe?
Methodology: Verified · 1 source (no primary) · last reviewed 2026-08-05
Verification posture
Verified
Low confidence
Review state
Stable
Last reviewed 2026-08-05
Sources by quality tier
- 1
- unclassified
- Unclassified source
The framework is documented at /methodology. Corrections at /corrections. Reviewer: DEPLOY editorial team.
Methodology surface for General Atomics.Peer companies
- Anduril Industries7 models
- DJI7 models
- Amazon4 models
- Autel Robotics4 models
- Baykar4 models
- Earendil Robotics4 models
In the press
Recent coverage mentioning General Atomics from third-party publications. Automatically surfaced; not part of the verified registry record.
U.S. Air Force plans cheaper MQ-9 Reaper successor after Iran combat use, targeting 2031 fielding and massed drone operations
The U.S. Air Force is developing a successor to the General Atomics MQ-9A Reaper after the drone played a leading combat role during Operation Epic Fury against Iran.
General Atomics CEO throws shade at cost target for new drone
“I believe they put a silly goal in here for a low end [cost],” Dave Alexander told Breaking Defense. “Anybody that bids that number is very suspicious.”
General Atomics Develops EXCALIBUR X-Ray Calibration and Metrology System
Scientists at General Atomics have unveiled EXCALIBUR, a versatile new laboratory system designed to precisely measure and fine‑tune X‑ray equipment for advanced research and…
DIU seeks cheaper drones to carry out Reaper missions
The notice comes after nearly 30 Reapers were reportedly lost in combat against Iran.
Accident General Atomics MQ-9A Reaper, 29 May 2026
A U.S. Air Force MQ-9A Reaper was shot down by Houthi rebels while flying over Marib Governorate, Yemen on May 29, 2026.
US Air Force Reaper drone crashes off South Korea
An MQ-9 Reaper drone assigned to Kunsan Air Base crashed into the sea near Maldo-Ri Island, South Korea, while performing a routine mission.
Broken propeller caused $13M military Reaper drone to crash into sea
An MQ-9 Reaper worth $13 million crashed into the Mediterranean Sea in December 2024 after its propeller decoupled mid-flight due to a spiral lock ring failure in the gearbox.
GA-ASI Further Expands MQ-9 Mission Capability
GA-ASI and L3Harris Technologies collaborated to expand the MQ-9 Reaper mission capabilities for the U.S. Air Force, enhancing communication and ISR systems.
General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper - Wikipedia
The MQ-9 Reaper (Predator B) is a MALE UAV developed by General Atomics with 27+ hours endurance, used by the US Air Force and allied forces for reconnaissance and strike missions.
Machine-readable surfaces
- Markdown mirror: /companies/general-atomics-parent.md
- RSS feed: /companies/general-atomics-parent/feed.xml
- JSON-LD: embedded in this page’s head
- REST API: /v1/companies/3277dae7-9a4c-455a-836b-3c5f9c3c765b
- Revision history: /companies/general-atomics-parent/history
- Data documentation: /data
- Query this programmatically: Deploy MCP
Peer companies
- Anduril Industries7 models
- DJI7 models
- Amazon4 models
- Autel Robotics4 models
- Baykar4 models
- Earendil Robotics4 models
Video
The Reaper UAV may look simple but behind the scenes it relies on a launch crew, ground data terminals, and ground control station. Technical overview of the MQ-9.
The MQ-9 Reaper first flew 25 years ago and is still getting tasked despite being slow and non-stealthy. Overview of the Reaper's operational history and contin
Official footage of MQ-9 Reaper operations including takeoff, landing, and mission capabilities.
Reality vs attention
General Atomics draws attention at the 80th percentile but verifies reality at the 11th percentile among aerial robots. Hype Gap +68.8, 7th widest among aerial robots.
6-month trend
Analysis
Safety profile within acceptable range for category. Broad public reach with 1.1M video views. Deployment footprint remains limited relative to category peers.
Signal flags
Dimension breakdown
Verified signal
Attention (reach, not merit)
DEPLOY Intelligence scores are computed from verified registry data: confirmed deployments, disclosed funding rounds, regulatory filings, active job listings, video viewership, and press coverage. Confidence ratings reflect data availability. Scores update nightly.
DEPLOY Indices — verified vs claimed
Last computed: Aug 17, 2026