Swarm Aero targets lower cost, 9,000-nm range with Gamera drone

Swarm Aero has unveiled Gamera, a large military drone designed to fly more than 9,000 nautical miles and deliver long-range weapons at a lower cost than existing aircraft, according to the company.

The California-based developer displayed a full-size model at the Air & Space Forces Association’s Air, Space & Cyber Conference in National Harbor, Maryland. First flight is targeted for late 2027, company co-founder and Chief Revenue Officer Oliver Palmer told Breaking Defense.

Gamera features a 72-foot wingspan, two parallel fuselages and seven external mounting points for weapons and other payloads. Swarm has emphasized a relatively simple, non-stealthy design that prioritizes range and affordability.

The company is offering Gamera for the Pentagon’s Massed Modular Aircraft program. Palmer said Swarm could beat the Air Force’s target of $10 million per aircraft, although the company has not announced a firm selling price.

Swarm CEO Peter Kalogiannis told Breaking Defense that Gamera would meet the program’s requirement to carry at least 2,800 pounds over the specified mission distance. He said the design would allow operators to trade payload for range, carrying more weight on shorter missions or less weight to accommodate additional fuel.

Swarm lists Gamera’s maximum range as more than 9,000 nautical miles on its website, but does not specify the payload associated with that figure. The projected range has yet to be demonstrated in flight.

The aircraft’s interchangeable payloads would support missions including surveillance, electronic warfare, communications and weapons delivery. Swarm also develops Legion, command-and-control software that the company says allows a single operator to manage dozens of uncrewed vehicles.

Gamera will use a Honeywell TPE331 turboprop engine. Swarm announced the selection in June 2026, saying Honeywell had already supplied the first propulsion systems under the agreement.

In August 2026, the company announced more than $10 million in Air Force Research Laboratory contracts to develop composite manufacturing techniques and produce aircraft parts for the Air Force.

Founded in 2022 and headquartered in Oxnard, California, Swarm has also opened an 80,000-square-foot manufacturing center in Fayetteville, Arkansas.

Gamera faces competition from General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, which unveiled its Wildfire drone on September 10, 2026. The company has also proposed its aircraft for the Massed Modular Aircraft program, emphasizing lower production costs and long-range surveillance and strike missions.

General Atomics says Wildfire would offer a ferry range exceeding 8,000 nautical miles and could carry two Long-Range Anti-Ship Missiles or four Joint Strike Missiles. That ferry-range figure does not indicate Wildfire’s combat radius with weapons aboard.

The company says Wildfire would use autonomous systems to allow coordinated operations involving dozens of aircraft. It also says its existing factories and supplier network would allow deliveries years ahead of the program’s fiscal 2031 target.The post Swarm Aero targets lower cost, 9,000-nm range with Gamera drone appeared first on AeroTime.

Go to Source