Robot model
MQ-9 Reaper
Medium-altitude long-endurance armed UAV.
- Manufacturer
- General Atomics Aeronautical Systems
- Form factor
- aerial
- Maturity
- commercial
- Lifecycle
- superseded
- Deployments
- 12
The verified answer
As of Oct 2026, DEPLOY verifies MQ-9 Reaper, a aerial by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (commercial): 12 verified deployments on record. 4 sources back the record.
supersededSuperseded by MQ-9 Reaper. The historical entry remains for reference; current coverage tracks the successor.
Overview
Medium-altitude long-endurance armed UAV. 27-hour endurance, 3,800 lb payload, Hellfire missiles and precision bombs. Primary US armed drone for ISR and strike missions.
Verified vs. claimed
- Maturity stage
- commercial(Commercially deployed with revenue-generating operations.)
- Sources on file
- View all sources →
Key facts
Type (reported, unconfirmed)
Family (reported, unconfirmed)
Maker (reported, unconfirmed)
Specs
Endurance
Max speed
Runtime h
Weight kg
Payload kg
Flight time min
Data & sources
Government records
1
Web sources
3
4 sources backing this record.View all →
Pricing
No verified price is on record for MQ-9 Reaper. Physical-AI systems are often sold through enterprise contracts or operated as a service rather than at a public list price.
Deployments (12)
- MQ-9 Reaper at Kunsan Air Base, South Koreaoperational
US Forces Korea permanently stationed MQ-9 Reaper squadron at Kunsan Air Base, activating the 431st Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron on September 29, 2025.
- MQ-9 Reaper at Andersen AFB, Guamoperational
MQ-9 Reaper drones operated from Andersen Air Force Base Guam conducting ISR missions with 2,200+ hours of reconnaissance in the Pacific region.
- MQ-9 Reaper at Nigerended
US operated MQ-9 Reaper armed drones from Nigerien Air Base 201 in Agadez, a $110M facility with 6,200ft runway.
USMC VMUT-2 at MCAS Cherry Point became the first Marine Corps MQ-9A Reaper squadron to reach operational status in August 2023.
U.S.
- MQ-9 Reaper at 12th Air Base, Polandoperational
USAF deployed MQ-9 Reapers to 12th Air Base in Poland, 717th Expeditionary Attack Squadron.
- MQ-9 Reaper at 71st Air Base, Romaniaoperational
MQ-9 Reapers deployed by USAF to Romanian 71st Air Base, 731st Expeditionary Attack Squadron.
- MQ-9 Reaper at INS Rajali, Tamil Nadu, Indiaoperational
Indian Navy began operating two leased MQ-9B SeaGuardians from INS Rajali in November 2020 for surveillance amid border tensions with China.
- MQ-9 Reaper at Cognac Air Base, Franceoperational
French Air and Space Force operates 12 MQ-9A ERs since 2014, based at Cognac-Châteaubernard Air Base, 33rd Attack, Reconnaissance and Surveillance Wing.
UK RAF operated MQ-9 Reapers from RAF Waddington.
MQ-9 Reaper on the deployment map
View the global mapWhere MQ-9 Reaper is verified operating. Explore the deployment map by place and type.
Recent activity
Every change to this record is dated, sourced, and independently verified where marked.
- Record createdJun 7, 2026
Added to the verified registry
- Deployment verifiedVerifiedSep 29, 2025
at Kunsan Air Base, South Korea
- Deployment verifiedVerifiedAug 8, 2023
at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina
- Deployment verifiedVerifiedJan 1, 2023
at Andersen AFB, Guam
- Deployment verifiedVerifiedAug 1, 2022
at 12th Air Base, Poland
Safety record
No incidents on record for MQ-9 Reaper.
Only active incidents are counted. Retracted incidents are excluded from this summary but remain reachable at their canonical URLs.
Sources (4)
Common questions
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How much does an MQ-9 Reaper drone cost?
Methodology: Verified · 4 sources (1 primary) · last reviewed 2026-10-12
Verification posture
Verified
High confidence
Review state
Stable
Last reviewed 2026-10-12
Maturity + lifecycle
Maturity stage: commercial
Lifecycle: superseded
Architectural position
Cohort: aerial
Sources by quality tier
- 2
- knowledge-base
- Knowledge base
- 1
- unclassified
- Unclassified source
- 1
- primary-government-record
- Government record
The framework is documented at /methodology. Corrections at /corrections. Reviewer: DEPLOY editorial team.
Methodology surface for MQ-9 Reaper.Recent coverage
MQ-9 Reaper in third-party press
Attention vs reality over time
Media mentions per month (area) against verified deployment events (dots). A press spike over a flat deployment line is the hype gap, drawn over time.
In the press
Recent coverage mentioning MQ-9 Reaper from third-party publications. Automatically surfaced; not part of the verified registry record.
81 US military aircraft, drones damaged during Iran war: Report
At least 81 U.S. military aircraft and drones have been damaged or destroyed since the war against Iran began early this year, according to a new report prepared for members of…
Hunt For MQ-9 Reaper Successor Surprisingly Includes Exotic Aircraft Manufacturer Otto Aerospace
Otto's extremely efficient airframe design philosophy, tested by the Celera 500L, could make for an attractive Reaper follow-on, but it is facing stiff competition. The post Hunt…
Vectis contra el MQ-9 Reaper: el dron furtivo que nace para operar donde el otro ya no sobrevive
Lockheed Martin presenta el Vectis como el CCA más avanzado del mercado mientras el Reaper, el dron ofensivo de referencia de EE.UU. desde hace dos décadas, acumula decenas de…
Drone maker unveils ‘low-cost’ alternative to MQ-9 Reaper
Swarm Aero said its Gamera design will deliver more capabilities than the MQ-9 Reaper at a fraction of the cost.
First Look At General Atomics’ Wildfire, Its Successor To The MQ-9 Reaper (Updated)
The USAF is hunting for new lower-cost armed drones to perform the same missions as the MQ-9 in the wake of huge Reaper losses. The post First Look At General Atomics’ Wildfire,…
USAF Wants MQ-9 Reaper Successor At A Fraction Of The Cost At $10M Each
The USAF has aggressive cost and schedule goals for new drones to succeed the MQ-9 fleet that has suffered major losses. The post USAF Wants MQ-9 Reaper Successor At A Fraction Of…
Air Force moves to accelerate effort to replace MQ-9 Reaper after combat losses in Iran war
“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,” Lt. Gen.…
Wildfire Is General Atomics’ Successor To The MQ-9 Reaper
The Wildfire concept has been entered into a new Pentagon competition to find a next generation of medium-altitude, long-endurance ISR and strike drone. The post Wildfire Is…
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.
Pentagon to explore cheaper replacements for the MQ-9 Reaper
The Massed Modular Aircraft project aims to develop a drone that can operate in such large numbers that it can absorb losses and still overwhelm defenses.
Pentagon to explore cheaper replacements for the MQ-9 Reaper
The Massed Modular Aircraft project aims to develop a drone that can operate in such large numbers that it can absorb losses and still overwhelm defenses.
Machine-readable surfaces
- Markdown mirror: /models/mq-9-reaper.md
- JSON-LD: embedded in this page’s head
- REST API: /v1/models/a4a24742-35fe-470e-915d-444483658f2b
- Revision history: /models/mq-9-reaper/history
- Data documentation: /data
- Query this programmatically: Deploy MCP
Reality vs attention
MQ-9 Reaper draws attention at the 74th percentile but verifies reality at the 95th percentile among aerial robots. Hype Gap -21.5, 84th widest among aerial robots.
6-month trend
Analysis
Above-average adoption relative to same-category peers. Limited independent press and video coverage to date.
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: Oct 21, 2026