GA-ASI and Saab have successfully demonstrated the MQ-9B drone’s ability to track multiple targets using Saab’s LoyalEye airborne early warning radar during flight trials conducted at GA-ASI’s Desert Horizon facility in Southern California. The demonstrations, carried out over several months, involved tracking multiple airborne and maritime targets, including instrumented fighter aircraft simulating adversaries and commercial aircraft. Mounted in payload pods, the LoyalEye radar demonstrated its ability to detect, track and classify airborne targets in a representative operational scenario. The MQ-9B AEW configuration is designed to operate independently or alongside crewed airborne early warning and control platforms, combining radar-based surveillance with the drone’s long endurance to maintain coverage over large areas for extended periods. Airborne early warning radar provides military operators with information about potential threats at long range, supporting situational awareness and coordinated responses. Using an unmanned platform could also reduce the need to expose aircrews to dangerous operational environments. Saab Surveillance head Carl-Johan Begholm highlighted the system’s ability to extend surveillance reach, improve flexibility and support more efficient resource utilisation. GA-ASI said battle management and command-and-control functions could also be distributed across ground stations, naval vessels and existing crewed AEW aircraft, depending on operational requirements and available infrastructure. The successful demonstration represents progress towards integrating persistent radar surveillance into long-endurance unmanned aircraft, potentially providing military forces with more flexible early warning and monitoring capabilities.
