General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI) and Saab have completed the first flight of an MQ-9B unmanned aircraft equipped with an airborne early warning radar system, a configuration the companies describe as the first unmanned AEW platform of its kind.
The flight took place on May 19 at GA-ASI’s Desert Horizon test facility in Southern California using a company-owned MQ-9B equipped with Saab’s LoyalEye radar pods.
According to the companies, the sortie marked the beginning of a multi-month test campaign expected to culminate in a full operational capability demonstration later this year.
The AEW system is intended to provide long-endurance airborne surveillance using the MQ-9B platform, including detection and tracking of aircraft, drones, missiles and other airborne threats.
GA-ASI and Saab announced their partnership on the project in 2025 as part of an effort to expand the mission profile of the MQ-9B family beyond intelligence, surveillance and strike operations.
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The MQ-9B family includes the SkyGuardian and SeaGuardian variants, the Royal Air Force’s Protector RG Mk1 and the MQ-9B STOL configuration being developed for aircraft carrier operations.
Saab is one of the main suppliers of airborne early warning systems in the Western market through platforms such as the GlobalEye and Erieye. The new project adapts part of that surveillance capability to an unmanned aircraft designed for medium-altitude, long-endurance operations.
The companies said the system is being designed to operate using both line-of-sight and satellite communications links.
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Neither company disclosed performance figures for the LoyalEye radar or how the capability compares with conventional crewed AEW&C aircraft in terms of range, coverage or target tracking capacity.
The project enters a market segment where several countries are seeking lower-cost airborne surveillance systems that can remain airborne for longer periods than traditional crewed platforms.
