GA-ASI and Saab Will Demonstrate AEW&C on MQ-9B in 2026

NYSE - LSE

RBGPF	0.12%	82.5	$
CMSD	0.04%	23.3	$
RYCEF	2.5%	17.97	$
CMSC	0.34%	23.489	$
BCE	0.19%	26.45	$
NGG	-0.34%	90.43	$
GSK	-0.42%	56.83	$
VOD	1%	15.03	$
RELX	-2.22%	34.18	$
BCC	-0.55%	78.32	$
RIO	0.98%	96.25	$
AZN	-0.11%	201.53	$
BTI	0.98%	61.01	$
JRI	-0.93%	12.91	$
BP	-0.05%	38.84	$

GA-ASI and Saab Will Demonstrate AEW&C on MQ-9B in 2026

TECHNOLOGY 16.11.2025

Two Aerospace Leaders Are Bringing Airborne Early Warning and Control to UAS

Text size:

DUBAI, UAE / ACCESS Newswire / November 16, 2025 / Following their announcement to bring Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) capability to the world's leading Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) platform, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) and Saab will now team up to demonstrate the capability in the summer of 2026. The demo will be conducted at GA-ASI's Desert Horizon flight operations facility in Southern California using a GA-ASI MQ-9B equipped with AEW&C supplied by Saab.

In partnership with Saab, a leading company in AEW&C systems, GA-ASI is pairing Saab's AEW sensors with the world's longest-range, highest-endurance RPA, the MQ-9B. At sea or over land, adding AEW capabilities on MQ-9B enables persistent air surveillance and enables AEW in areas of the world where it doesn't currently exist or is unaffordable, such as for navy aircraft carriers at sea.

"Adding AEW&C to the MQ-9B brings a critical new capability to our platform," said GA-ASI President David R. Alexander. "We want to deliver a persistent AEW&C solution to our global operators that will protect them against sophisticated cruise missiles as well as simple but dangerous drone swarms."

MQ-9B models include the SkyGuardian^® and SeaGuardian^®, the United Kingdom's MQ-9B variant known as Protector, and the new MQ-9B STOL (Short Takeoff and Landing) configuration currently in development.

The AEW solution for MQ-9B will offer critical aloft sensing to defend against tactical air munitions, guided missiles, drones, fighter and bomber aircraft, and other threats. Operational availability for a medium-altitude, long-endurance UAS is the highest of any military aircraft, and as an unmanned platform, its aircrews are not put into harm's way.

GA-ASI and Saab's AEW offering will span a wide range of applications, including early detection and warning; long-range detection and tracking; and simultaneous target tracking and flexible combat system integration - all over line-of-sight and SATCOM connectivity.

About GA-ASI

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc., is the world's foremost builder of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS). Logging more than 9 million flight hours, the Predator^® line of UAS has flown for over 30 years and includes MQ-9A Reaper^®, MQ-1C Gray Eagle^®, MQ-20 Avenger^®, and MQ-9B SkyGuardian^®/SeaGuardian^®. The company is dedicated to providing long-endurance, multi-mission solutions that deliver persistent situational awareness and rapid strike.

For more information, visit www.ga-asi.com.

Avenger, EagleEye, Gray Eagle, Lynx, Predator, Reaper, SeaGuardian, and SkyGuardian are trademarks of General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc., registered in the United States and/or other countries.

# # #

Contact Information

GA-ASI Media Relations
[email protected]
(858) 524-8101

SOURCE: General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc.

View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire

F.Mueller--VB

Volkswacht Bodensee - GA-ASI and Saab Will Demonstrate AEW&C on MQ-9B in 2026

GA-ASI and Saab Will Demonstrate AEW&C on MQ-9B in 2026

Featured

Google to open German centre for 'AI development'

Sci-fi without AI: Oscar nominated 'Arco' director prefers human touch

Michelangelo's works hidden in 'secret room', researcher says

Europe should focus on industrial AI, SAP says