Airborne early warning demonstration planned on MQ-9B in 2026
NewsNovember 18, 2025
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates. General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. (GA-ASI) and Saab will conduct a summer 2026 demonstration showcasing airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) capability on a GA-ASI MQ-9B uncrewed aircraft, the company announced in a statement.
The demonstration, to be held at GA-ASI’s Desert Horizon facility in Southern California, will employ an MQ-9B equipped with Saab-supplied AEW sensors, the statement reads. According to GA-ASI, integrating AEW&C onto a medium-altitude, long-endurance uncrewed aerial system (UAS) is intended to provide persistent airborne surveillance in regions where traditional AEW platforms are unavailable or cost-prohibitive.
GA-ASI states that the MQ-9B family, which includes SkyGuardian, SeaGuardian, the U.K.’s Protector variant, and a short takeoff and landing configuration under development, is suited for extended on-station sensing. Saab’s system is designed to support early detection and tracking of aircraft, drones, guided munitions, and other airborne threats, the company says.
The two companies add that the demonstration will explore applications ranging from long-range target tracking to integration with command-and-control networks via line-of-sight and satellite communications.
