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GA-ASI and Saab complete first flight of MQ-9B with Saab LoyalEye AEW pods

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI) flew the MQ-9B fitted with Saab-supplied LoyalEye airborne early warning (AEW) pods for the first time on May 19, 2026, in Southern California. GA-ASI positions the test as a step toward persistent AEW surveillance on an unmanned platform.

Discovered 2026-05-24T04:12:45.223665-07:00 | 2026-05-24T04:12:45.223665-07:00

Briefing

What Hype is tracking

This is a concrete motion from “ISR/strike” into persistent airborne early warning on a remotely piloted airframe, with GA-ASI and Saab validating the LoyalEye AEW pod integration via first flight (source:cdcd9c8b-974a-4f25-ab0a-e3e88fcac5ac).
AEW survivability and persistence can change mission design for MQ-9B operators; it builds on the broader policy and budget debate around MQ-9 Reaper’s role as a scaled uncrewed “workhorse” (source:dad5c3b6-7474-4ac8-93cd-6145947a3952).
The partnership underscores how major primes are expanding unmanned mission sets through sensor-pod architectures—relevant for programs assessing next-step payload roadmaps, integration timelines, and platform commonality.

Reported By

aerobuzz.fr aero-defence.tech UASweekly aerospacemanufacturinganddesign.com APAC Defence Reporter militaryleak.com