General Atomics and Saab are gearing up to fly an MQ-9B medium-altitude long-endurance UAV next summer that will be equipped with an airborne early warning (AEW) radar system. The demonstration, to be undertaken at GA’s Desert Horizon test center in California, will mark a major step in the program to create the world’s first uncrewed AEW platform.
GA and Saab have been looking at AEW for some time. An uncrewed solution has considerable advantages for extending the coverage of existing crewed aircraft or providing AEW capability to new users. There is obvious potential for operations from aircraft carriers. Uncrewed platforms can operate closer to high-threat airspace and sustain continuous coverage more easily and cost-effectively. At present, a GlobalEye (for instance) can stay aloft for around 12 hours, whereas the MQ-9B offers 16 to 20 hours on station with much lower operating costs. It is possible to re-role an AEW-configured MQ-9B with another system fit, but the process would take several days.
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