Early warning radar on the MQ-9B: Saab and General Atomics flight-test LoyalEye

Saab and General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI) have reached a further milestone on the way to unmanned early warning systems: in a flight test in Southern California, Saab’s LoyalEye early warning radar, integrated into an MQ-9B, demonstrated that it can detect, track and classify air targets.

The test took place at GA-ASI’s Desert Horizon flight test facility. It examined how the LoyalEye radar and the remotely piloted MQ-9B work together under near-operational conditions. Representatives of potential customers and other project stakeholders followed the system’s performance in real time.

The test programme of which the trial is part began in May 2026 with the first flight of the combination.

Early warning radar to complement crewed aircraft

With LoyalEye, the two companies aim to transfer the capabilities of conventional crewed airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft to unmanned platforms or to complement these capabilities.

Carl-Johan Bergholm, head of Saab’s Surveillance business area, put the test into context:

“This flight test marks an important milestone in the development of unmanned early warning capabilities. LoyalEye was developed to complement existing AEW&C solutions with additional flexibility and longer endurance. Today’s flight confirms its performance under near-operational conditions”— Carl-Johan Bergholm, head of Saab’s Surveillance business area

General Atomics also sees great potential in the new capability, as GA-ASI President David R. Alexander made clear:

“This was one of the flight tests we have been awaiting with the greatest anticipation”— David R. Alexander, President of GA-ASI

“Customer interest worldwide in early warning capabilities on the MQ-9B is exceptionally high. The concept simply makes sense.”— David R. Alexander, President of GA-ASI

The MQ-9B with LoyalEye is intended to be deployable both on its own and together with crewed AEW&C aircraft.

The concept is considered particularly attractive for airspace surveillance that has to cover large areas over long periods. Thanks to its high endurance, the MQ-9B can fly longer surveillance missions, while the unmanned platform also reduces the risk to aircrews.

Saab and GA-ASI see it as an additional option alongside existing crewed early warning systems, above all for areas of operation that involve large geographical distances and demand a high degree of continuous surveillance.