Swarm Aero has unveiled Gamera, a new Group 5 unmanned aircraft designed for long-range strike and sensing missions, at the Air, Space & Cyber conference near Washington, D.C. The aircraft is pitched as a lower-cost alternative to the MQ-9 Reaper class, with a claimed unrefuelled range of about 9,000 nautical miles, more than 2,800 lb of payload and seven store locations.
The aircraft is aimed at the Pentagon’s search for a more affordable, autonomous platform with mass-production potential and the range to operate across Pacific-scale distances. Swarm has positioned Gamera against U.S. Air Force and Defence Innovation Unit requirements for a Massed Modular Aircraft-type system, and says it can carry LRASM and JASSM-ER-class weapons as well as other payloads.
The design has a roughly 72-foot wingspan and a modular layout intended to support strike, sensing and other mission sets. Coverage around the unveiling indicated the aircraft has been under development for several years, but no production contract, delivery schedule or operational fielding date has been disclosed.