Air Force buys new generation of drones made to strike deep into enemy territory

[rangerrebew]

 
Air Force buys new generation of drones made to strike deep into enemy territory
Story by Marcus Weisgerber • 19h

he U.S. Air Force has agreed to deals with two companies for a new fleet of autonomous drone jet fighters designed to help manned warplanes strike targets deep in enemy territory.

The contracts with Anduril and General Atomics for larger, faster, more expensive combat drones come as small, cheap, quick-to-build aircraft have reshaped modern warfare in both Ukraine and Iran.
 

The Air Force says its new drones are needed in battles where manned jets would be at a high risk of getting shot down. They will “change how we project power and generate mass in highly contested environments,” said Gen. Ken Wilsbach, the Air Force chief of staff.

Highly contested environments is a phrase often used by the military for airspace defended by advanced interceptors made by China and Russia.

The Air Force had been evaluating the Anduril and General Atomics drones since 2024. The General Atomics drone, called the FQ-42, is larger than Anduril’s drone, called FQ-44. One of the differences between the two is that the FQ-42 carries missiles in an internal weapons bay while the FQ-44 carries munitions externally on its wings.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/air-force-buys-new-generation-of-drones-made-to-strike-deep-into-enemy-territory/ar-AA2605Z6

[rangerrebew]

 
AI, Drones, and Long-Range Fires: Inside the Army's New Multi-Domain Command Pacific
Tuva Siegel
 
 
Transforming the 7th Infantry Division into a tech-driven powerhouse, the Army integrates cyber, space, and AI-enabled sensors to dominate modern battlefields across the vast Indo-Pacific theater.
By: Tuva Siegel, Warrior Editorial Fellow

The U.S. Army recently redesignated the 7th Infantry Division as the Multi-Domain Command Pacific, creating a headquarters that combines traditional ground forces with cyber, space, drone, and long-range strike capabilities. A June 18, 2026, roundtable panel detailing this redesignation consisted of GEN Ronald P. Clark, Commanding General, U.S. Army Pacific; LTG Matthew W. McFarlane, Commanding General, I Corps and Joint Base Lewis-McChord; and MG Bernard J. Harrington, Commanding General, 7th Infantry Division / Multi-Domain Command – Pacific (MDC-PAC).

Army leaders say the shift reflects how artificial intelligence, autonomous systems and connected networks of sensors and shooters are increasingly shaping modern warfare. This supports the “Army's commitment to transformation and putting real capability forward,” as outlined by General Ronald Clark, Commander of U.S. Army Pacific. The command, based at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, is intended to help the Army operate across the vast distances of the Indo-Pacific while integrating more closely with joint and allied forces. Maj. Gen. Bernard Harrington stressed that "this is not simply just a name change. It's really the next step in a legacy of transformation."

https://warriormaven.com/news/land/ai-drones-and-long-range-fires-inside-the-armys-new-multi-domain-command-pacific

[BobfromWB]

Air Force buys new generation of drones made to strike deep into enemy territory
Story by Marcus Weisgerber • 19h

he U.S. Air Force has agreed to deals with two companies for a new fleet of autonomous drone jet fighters designed to help manned warplanes strike targets deep in enemy territory.

The contracts with Anduril and General Atomics for larger, faster, more expensive combat drones come as small, cheap, quick-to-build aircraft have reshaped modern warfare in both Ukraine and Iran.
 

The Air Force says its new drones are needed in battles where manned jets would be at a high risk of getting shot down. They will “change how we project power and generate mass in highly contested environments,” said Gen. Ken Wilsbach, the Air Force chief of staff.

Highly contested environments is a phrase often used by the military for airspace defended by advanced interceptors made by China and Russia.

The Air Force had been evaluating the Anduril and General Atomics drones since 2024. The General Atomics drone, called the FQ-42, is larger than Anduril’s drone, called FQ-44. One of the differences between the two is that the FQ-42 carries missiles in an internal weapons bay while the FQ-44 carries munitions externally on its wings.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/air-force-buys-new-generation-of-drones-made-to-strike-deep-into-enemy-territory/ar-AA2605Z6

How many million did they buy or are they planning on a short war against Cuba?

[BobfromWB]

FQ-42 costs $25–30 million per unit;

FQ-44cost of less than $30 million per unit.

Looks like they may have bought one of each at those prices.