GoKawiilThe US military has lost dozens of Reaper drones collectively worth more than $1 billion while carrying out surveillance and attack missions over Iran. Now the Pentagon is seeking large numbers of cheaper drones that can perform such missions despite the expectation that many will be lost in combat.
In a call for industry pitches, the Defense Innovation Unit’s notice described the US military’s current reliance on drones and crewed aircraft, each costing more than $30 million, as being “unsustainable against adversaries utilizing layered defenses enabled by increasingly low-cost antiaircraft capabilities.” It envisions deploying more “cost-effective” drones to “overwhelm enemy air defenses even while experiencing numerous [drone] losses.”
That is, in practice, what Ukraine’s military has been demonstrating with its long- and mid-range strike campaign against Russian supply lines, oil refineries, and various energy or industrial targets within Russia or occupied Ukraine. The Ukrainian campaign has been overwhelming Russia’s overstretched air defense capabilities by launching hundreds of relatively inexpensive drones and missiles on a daily basis to attack targets far behind the frontlines, while continuing to damage or destroy Russia’s most sophisticated air defense systems.
By contrast, the US military has primarily deployed sophisticated, expensive crewed aircraft and drones to perform airstrikes since the United States and Israel launched their attack on Iran on February 28, 2026. That has led to the loss of costly aircraft and helicopters and forced the US military to scramble to rescue downed pilots in Iran or the Strait of Hormuz.
For the riskiest combat missions, the US military has sent MQ-9A Reaper drones deep into Iranian airspace to gather intelligence and strike targets with missiles. Kenneth Wilsbach, chief of staff of the Air Force, described the Reaper as the “most valuable player” in the Air Force arsenal during the US military’s war against Iran.