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A rendering of the new Wildfire platform. Image courtesy of GA-ASI.
GA-ASI showcases new Wildfire UAS at AFA
GA-ASI will demonstrate how its new offering addresses mass and scalability requirements at AFA 2026.
Presented by
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc.
Presented by
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc.
The U.S. arsenal relies on exquisite, technologically advanced systems. While essential for domain dominance, these assets are often ill-suited for the attrition rates of protracted warfare. Recent operations demonstrate that adversaries are successfully neutralizing expensive U.S. assets with low-cost, attritable systems.
As operational environments shift toward massed, modular capabilities, our reliance on high-value, hard-to-replace platforms will create a strategic vulnerability. To address this, the U.S. Air Force (USAF) should shift toward a more cost-effective model of achieving aerial dominance, one that combines exquisite systems with a mix of affordable, massed solutions.
And at this year’s Air, Space & Cyber (AFA) Conference, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI), will demonstrate how they’re leaning into this shift and supporting the USAF by showcasing their newest solution: Wildfire.
What is GA-ASI’s Wildfire system?
With more than three decades of experience and nearly 10 million flight hours across its thousands of aircraft, GA-ASI’s Wildfire platform looks to build on the success of the MQ-9 program. Wildfire is engineered to bridge the gap between reliability and the need for autonomous volume at scale.
“Wildfire is GA-ASI’s vision for a new uncrewed aircraft that combines high capability with affordable unit costs, in response to the U.S. Air Force’s request for a new type of aircraft,” explained a spokesperson from GA-ASI. “Wildfire integrates the proven capabilities of the current MQ-9A model and MQ-9B aircraft, with some unconventional refinements and strict discipline around other features and missions.”
Wildfire is a medium-altitude, long-endurance (MALE) aircraft that’s designed to take the best of what the MQ-9A and MQ-9B have to offer and operate in concert with other semi-autonomous systems like the FQ-42A Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) “Dark Merlin.”
“Wildfire draws inspiration from the FQ-42A and its heavy use of semi-autonomous operations, thereby reducing the workload for human operators,” continued the spokesperson. “When it comes to the MQ-9B, Wildfire builds on the MQ-9B’s class-leading onboard sensing and novel networking and communications infrastructure.”
However, Wildfire is unique in the sense that it doesn’t have many of the common features or onboard systems that are expected of similar craft. This intentional design choice helps the USAF save on costs and is designed to give them a more “focused platform they’ll be able to field in higher quantities,” explained the spokesperson.
Meet the GA-ASI team at AFA.
The time to transition from a high-cost, low-output model is now. At AFA this year, GA-ASI will showcase how their systems support this shift by enabling and promoting a more resilient airpower model.
On a more tactical level, at AFA, GA-ASI will feature a full-scale model of the FQ-42A CCA, now in production and making routine flights for the company and the USAF. Attendees will also have the chance to learn more about GA-ASI’s MALE platforms like the MQ-9A Reaper®, MQ-9B SkyGuardian®, and MQ-9B SeaGuardian®.
But more importantly, attendees who stop by Booth #635 will also get a chance to snag a sneak peek of the company’s new Wildfire massed modular aircraft offering.
“GA-ASI stands at the leading edge of what’s possible with uncrewed aircraft at every level, and we’re excited to unveil Wildfire at AFA,” the spokesperson added.
This content is made possible by our sponsor General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc., it is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Defense One's editorial staff.