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

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

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.

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Contact Information

GA-ASI Media Relations
asi-mediarelations@ga-asi.com
(858) 524-8101

SOURCE: General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc.

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