General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI) and Saab have completed flight tests of an airborne early warning system mounted on an uncrewed aircraft system (UAS).
The tests, conducted over recent months at GA-ASI’s Desert Horizon facility in southern California, involved fitting a Saab LoyalEye radar to the MQ-9B and tracking multiple targets in both the air and at sea.
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The trials demonstrated that the integrated system could detect, track, and classify airborne targets from an uncrewed platform.
According to GA-ASI, the MQ-9B UAS was able to simultaneously monitor several airborne and maritime targets at extended ranges. Among the objects tracked during these exercises were multiple instrumented red fighter jets and commercial aircraft.
Traditionally, AEW operations have relied upon large, crewed aircraft. The use of Saab’s LoyalEye radar on an uncrewed MQ-9B represents a departure from that model, providing operators with persistent airborne sensing capabilities without requiring onboard personnel.
The company noted that by equipping MQ-9B with AEW, operators can achieve broader surveillance coverage over longer periods, supporting early detection, warning, and battle management functions across a range of operating environments.
GA-ASI president David Alexander said: “This has been one of the most highly anticipated flight tests we have performed. The level of customer interest in AEW capability on MQ-9B throughout the world is extremely high. It just makes sense.”
The flight test forms part of an evaluation programme that started with the system’s initial flight in May 2026, reflecting ongoing development of the capability.
For the test flights, the LoyalEye AEW radar was integrated onto the MQ-9B using payload pods. The system is intended to function either on its own or in collaboration with crewed AEW&C platforms.
By equipping the MQ-9B with LoyalEye, operators can extend airborne early warning coverage into areas that were previously inaccessible, improving situational awareness and operational flexibility while removing the need to place aircrew at risk. Saab surveillance business area head Carl-Johan Bergholm said: “This flight test underscores Saab’s commitment to evolving airborne early warning capabilities to meet future operational needs. LoyalEye complements existing capabilities by adding flexibility, extending reach, and enabling a more efficient use of resources in demanding environments.”
