The U.S. Marine Corps has received its final MQ-9A Reaper Block 5 Extended Range uncrewed aircraft system, concluding a rapid three-year procurement effort aimed at strengthening expeditionary aviation capabilities.
According to Naval Air Systems Command, the delivery was completed in June 2025 at General Atomics Aeronautical Systems’ (GA-ASI) Gray Butte flight operations facility in California.
This final aircraft marks the 20th MQ-9A handed over to the Marine Corps, following 18 already fielded and two currently en route.
“This program has been a model of how to do things right,” said Capt. Dennis Monagle, program manager for Multi-Mission Tactical UAS (PMA-266), the Navy office that oversaw the acquisition. “We leveraged a strong relationship with industry and the Air Force to move quickly, stay on schedule, and deliver advanced capability to the fleet with minimal friction. It’s been a very smooth process, proof that when the right teams align, we can move at the speed the Marines need.”
The MQ-9A, manufactured by GA-ASI, is a multi-role, medium-altitude, long-endurance uncrewed aircraft designed to perform missions including intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR), as well as maritime domain awareness. Its extended range configuration enables persistent operations over greater distances, which is critical to U.S. Marine Corps concepts of distributed operations and Force Design 2030 priorities.
Marine Corps officials say the platform delivers a measurable leap in expeditionary capability, especially in scenarios requiring dispersed operations in contested environments. The Reaper fleet enhances real-time situational awareness and supports persistent surveillance over vast oceanic or coastal areas.
As noted by the Navy, integration of upgraded systems continues. The SkyTower II airborne network extension pod, currently being added to the upgraded MQ-9A, is expected to reach Initial Operational Capability later this year. The pod is designed to expand the Corps’ communication and data-sharing capacity across dispersed units, further enabling command and control in austere and communications-degraded environments.
The Marine Air-Ground Task Force Unmanned Aircraft System program, managed by PMA-266, continues to advance additional capabilities for future group 4 and 5 vertical lift platforms as the Corps reconfigures its aviation enterprise for the demands of future conflict.
The MQ-9A Reaper is also operated by the U.S. Air Force and other allied nations, but the Marine Corps’ specific adaptation reflects a shift toward independent, long-range ISR assets capable of supporting expeditionary units with minimal logistical footprint.
The final delivery of the MQ-9A Block 5 ER concludes a program that Marine aviation officials describe as fast, disciplined, and tightly coordinated with industry partners. With the full fleet now on hand, the Marine Corps enters the next phase of fielding advanced sensors, networking pods, and mission systems that are expected to further integrate the aircraft into the broader Joint Force structure.