A 12 months after the announcement of the collaboration, GA-ASI has flown an MQ-9B remotely piloted plane with LoyalEye Airborne Early Warning (AEW) pods designed by Saab.
Normal Atomics Aeronautical Methods and Saab introduced the primary flight of the MQ-9B Remotely Piloted Plane (RPA) outfitted with the brand new Airborne Early Warning (AEW) pods. The milestone follows the announcement final 12 months between the 2 corporations to collectively develop an unmanned, persistent and cost-effective air surveillance functionality.
The take a look at flight was carried out on Might 19, 2026, from GA-ASI’s Desert Horizon flight operations facility in Southern California. The picture accompanying the press launch reveals that the plane flew with two pods, which Saab named LoyalEye, though the third pod beforehand proven in renderings can’t be instantly noticed due.
GA-ASI says the flight “signaled step one in a growth course of that’s anticipated to take a number of months and culminate with a full-capability demonstration later this 12 months.” The corporate is utilizing certainly one of its personal plane for the take a look at marketing campaign.
The AEW resolution developed by Saab and GA-ASI will help a variety of purposes, together with early detection and warning, long-range detection and monitoring, and the simultaneous monitoring of a number of targets. The system will function each Past Line Of Sight (BLOS) and through satellite tv for pc communication (SATCOM) connectivity.
“AEW for MQ-9B will supply vital aloft sensing to defend towards tactical air munitions, guided missiles, drones, fighter and bomber plane, and different threats,” mentioned GA-ASI President David R. Alexander. “Operational availability for a medium-altitude, long-endurance UAS is the very best of any army plane, and as an unmanned platform, its aircrews usually are not put into hurt’s manner.”
“LoyalEye on the MQ-9B gives vital airborne sensing, supporting prolonged persistence and operational attain”, mentioned Carl Johan Bergholm, Senior Vice President and Head of Enterprise Space Surveillance at Saab. “As a complement to manned property, it goals to reinforce situational consciousness and, together, allow larger operational attain and adaptability.”
The partnership
Normal Atomics Aeronautical Methods and Saab first introduced the collaboration for the event of a podded Airborne Early Warning and Management (AEW) on June 15, 2025. On the time, the businesses said that the brand new functionality could be operational by 2026 and obtainable for the SkyGuardian, SeaGuardian, the UK’s Protector RG1, and the brand new MQ-9B STOL (Quick Takeoff and Touchdown).
GA-ASI mentioned that the objective was to develop an inexpensive AEW resolution which can be utilized “towards each refined cruise missiles and easy however harmful drone swarms.” Moreover, the brand new platform would have the ability to function the place bigger platforms usually are not possible.
The renderings launched by the 2 corporations present the MQ-9B outfitted with three specialised pods for the AEW mission. Two pods, one beneath every wing, are understood to host the radar arrays, whereas a 3rd pod put in on the centerline could be used for the processing models.
Notably, Saab can be the developer of the Erieye aerial AESA radar system, the principle element of the GlobalEye AEW&C plane. It’s nevertheless unclear if there’s a relation between LoyalEye and Erieye.
In November 2025, the 2 corporations first introduced that they’d show the AEW functionality on the MQ-9B in the summertime of 2026. It’s potential that this can be a reference to the full-capability demonstration talked about within the newest press launch.
The businesses didn’t specify in the event that they already obtained curiosity by potential clients. Nevertheless, the UK’s Ministry of Protection mentioned in Might 2025 that the MQ-9 is being thought of as a candidate for the Royal Navy’s requirement for Provider Strike Airborne Early Warning.
The MQ-9-based AEW functionality would change the Crowsnest Airborne Early Warning system, based mostly on the AW101 helicopter, when it reaches the tip of its service life. The drones could be carrier-based, because the Royal Navy assessed that the MQ-9 might be modified to function from the Queen Elizabeth class plane carriers.
