US military plans turning MQ-9 Reaper into drone mothership with 100 small UAVs
U.S. Special Operations Command wants a large funding boost in its 2027 budget to expand the MQ-9 Reaper’s role as a drone “mothership,” according to new budget documents. The 2026 request shows the command is shifting its priorities for future conflicts.
SOCOM is asking for $75.8 million for the MQ-9 program, up from $24.9 million this year. At the same time, it has cut its planned OA-1K Skyraider II fleet from 75 to 53 aircraft. This change reflects new mission needs as the military prepares for tougher environments.
Budget priorities shift toward unmanned systems
The new budget request shifts investment priorities. The OA-1K program is still active, but the smaller fleet means less reliance on traditional light attack planes. SOCOM had originally selected L3Harris Technologies in 2022 to deliver the OA-1K, based on the AT-802U Sky Warden, under a $3 billion Armed Overwatch contract.
The program was meant to provide close air support, light strike, and intelligence gathering, especially for counterinsurgency missions. These tasks used to be handled by several types of aircraft. The new numbers suggest these missions are no longer the main focus.
Military planners are now preparing for missions in places like the Indo-Pacific, where air defenses are stronger, and survival is a bigger concern. This shift has led to more focus on unmanned and distributed systems.
MQ-9 evolves into airborne command hub
The MQ-9 upgrade is part of SOCOM’s Adaptive Airborne Enterprise plan. The goal is to turn the drone into a command-and-control platform that can manage several unmanned systems during missions.
With this new role, the MQ-9 would coordinate drones doing surveillance and targeting deep in contested areas. The extra $50 million in the 2027 budget is mainly for buying the systems needed to make this change.
According to budget details, SOCOM is seeking to purchase 93 group 2 UAVs, 10 group 3 UAVs, 16 swarm carrier pods, and five ground system interfaces. The acquisitions are intended to support human-machine collaboration such that operators can control various UAVs from one aircraft.
This marks a notable increase from fiscal 2026, when only 29 Group 2 drones were requested.
Expanding drone inventory and capabilities
The larger drone inventory shows how important smaller unmanned systems will be in future missions. In November 2025, Anduril Industries won a $50 million contract to provide ALTIUS-600 Group 2 drones for SOCOM.
Group 2 drones usually fly up to 3,500 feet and are mainly used for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance. Group 3 drones can reach 18,000 feet and carry more over longer distances.
Both types have top speeds under 288 miles per hour, so they are better for coordinated missions than for fast attacks. Their small size also makes them harder to spot than bigger aircraft.
Role of swarm tactics in future missions
As reported by the Defense Post, adding swarm carrier pods shows a plan to launch many drones at once. These systems could overwhelm enemy defenses or give wide-area sensing across large regions.
Group 2 drones will likely handle ISR tasks and send real-time data to operators. Group 3 drones may have stealth features that let them get closer to defended targets. This means they could also be used for strikes, including against air defenses.
SOCOM has not disclosed how many drones each MQ-9 will control, but the large number of drones being bought suggests a significant increase in what these systems can do. This fits a wider trend in modern warfare, where networked unmanned systems are key for battlefield awareness and precise targeting.
