Saab and General Atomics test LoyalEye airborne early warning on MQ-9B
The project combines General Atomics’ proven UAV with Saab’s increasingly popular aerial surveillance system.
US uncrewed aircraft manufacturer General Atomics Aeronautical Systems and Swedish airframer Saab have tested a new unmanned airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) system on an unmanned aircraft for the first time.
The project combines the General Atomics MQ-9B SkyGuardian remotely piloted aircraft with Saab’s LoyalEye AEW&C radar. A LoyalEye-configured MQ-9B previously flew in May but did not conduct a full test of the sensor system.
The two companies said on 28 October that they have now achieved that milestone during a test flight from General Atomics’ Desert Horizon Flight Operations Facility in Southern California. Goals for the initial sortie included validating the performance of the integrated AEW&C system, including its ability to detect, track and classify airborne targets from an unmanned platform.
The exact parameters of the evaluation were not revealed, but Saab describes it as a “representative operational scenario”.
“LoyalEye is designed to complement existing AEW&C solutions by providing additional flexibility and persistence, and today’s flight validates the capability in a representative operational scenario,” says Carl-Johan Bergholm, head of Saab’s surveillance business area.
David Alexander, president of General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, describes the event as “one of the most highly anticipated flight tests” the company has performed.
“The level of customer interest in AEW capability on MQ-9B throughout the world is extremely high. It just makes sense,” he says.
That is a notable statement, considering General Atomics is one of two companies leading the development of the uncrewed fighter jets known as collaborative combat aircraft for the US Air Force. Its aircraft has been designated the FQ-42A Vengeance and is in the late stages of pre-production testing.
Saab says an MQ-9B equipped with LoyalEye sensors can operate independently or alongside manned AEW&C platforms, such as Saab’s own GlobalEye platform, which is housed in a converted Bombardier Global 6000/6500 business jet.
Such manned-unmanned teaming is already in use for other airborne surveillance specialities, such as maritime patrol. Canada plans to pair a fleet of specially configured MQ-9Bs (locally designated the CQ-9B) with the Boeing P-8A maritime patrol jet.
The US and Australia pair their own P-8As with the Northrop Grumman MQ-4C Triton UAV, which is specifically built for maritime surveillance.
Uncrewed aircraft are able to cover large areas with persistent surveillance, reducing crew rest issues for manned aircraft and freeing up those platforms to focus on responding to specifically identified threats.
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