The U.S. Air Force is expanding its combat-drone fleet to 500 Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) and 500 Massed Modular Aircraft (MMA) by 2032, creating a force of 1,000 new uncrewed aircraft. The CCA fleet will include General Atomics’ FQ-42 Vengeance and Anduril’s FQ-44 Fury, while the MMA program is intended to provide a cheaper successor to the MQ-9 Reaper.

Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink announced the official names of the Air Force’s newest Collaborative Combat Aircraft—the FQ-42 Vengeance and FQ-44 Fury—during his keynote address at the Air & Space Forces Association’s Air, Space & Cyber Conference on Sept. 14. The announcement formally identifies the two aircraft selected to lead the CCA program as the Air Force moves toward a larger, more distributed and attritable combat-aircraft force.

Heavy Reaper Losses Spur MMA Push

The MMA push has gained urgency after heavy MQ-9 losses during the Iran war, with recent reporting putting the number at roughly 45 Reapers lost, about 25% of its Reaper fleet, according to The Washington Post. The Air Force wants MMA aircraft to cost around $10 million each, far below the reported $30–50 million cost of equipped Reapers, allowing it to field more aircraft and absorb greater combat losses.

Iran claims its domestically developed Arash-e Kamangir system intercepted a U.S. reconnaissance drone over the Strait of Hormuz. The claim is unverified, but analysts say it is plausible and reflects Iran’s shift toward cheaper, mobile air defenses designed to threaten drones and aircraft while remaining difficult to detect and replace, Al Jazeera reports. Separately, a U.S. defense official told The Washington Post that some drones were lost after their communications links with operators failed, rather than being shot down by Iranian forces; the official did not disclose how many were lost this way.

At a Senate hearing on the U.S. Air Force FY 2027 budget in May 2026, officials said the MQ-9 Reaper fleet had fallen to about 135 aircraft, down from a previously established requirement of 189, following significant attrition during Operation Epic Fury. Despite the losses, the Air Force said it could still support 56 combat lines worldwide while assessing options to rebuild the fleet.

Senate Hearing on the U.S. Air Force FY 2027 Budget – May 12th, 2026 (MQ-9 Reaper Discussion 20:47-25:53)

Wildfire Targets the Reaper’s Role at a Fraction of the Cost

General Atomics’ Wildfire is one proposed Reaper successor that fits this approach, emphasizing lower cost ($10 million), modularity, and mass production. With 500 MMA aircraft planned by 2032, the Air Force is effectively shifting from a smaller fleet of expensive Reapers toward a much larger force of affordable, replaceable drones.