UAV Development & Drone Programs   General Atomics   Defense Industry & Major Contractors  
FlightGlobal • Craig Hoyle

GA-ASI conducts first MQ-9B flight with Saab LoyalEye AEW radar pods, validating unmanned airborne early-warning integration

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems flew an MQ-9B Remotely Piloted Aircraft for the first time carrying pod-housed Saab LoyalEye airborne early-warning (AEW) radar arrays. GA-ASI says the flight marks a first for the “unmanned AEW solution,” delivered via the GA-ASI–Saab partnership and intended to expand MQ-9B surveillance roles worldwide.

UK Defence Journal • Craig Langford

MQ-9B drone gets airborne early warning capability

2026-05-21T09:38:36.247976-07:00
Satellite   Missile Systems & Strategic Weapons   Space Defense & Militarization  
Bloomberg • Anthony Capaccio

Space Force Missile Alert Satellites at Risk of Critical Defects

By Bloomberg: A new global satellite system to alert US forces of incoming missile attacks was one of the “lowest performing” Space Force programs last year and risks developing “mission-critical defects” after being launched into orbit, according to an unreleased service report.

2026-05-21T03:24:22.543931-07:00
UAV Development & Drone Programs   Europe   Geopolitical Developments & Conflict Impact  
Reuters • Janis Laizans

Latvia and Lithuania issue drone alerts, scramble NATO fighter jets

By Reuters: Lithuania and Latvia each detected drones in their airspace on Thursday and urged ‌some inhabitants to seek shelter while NATO fighter jets scrambled to intercept the devices, the latest in a series of such security incidents in the Baltics.

Also: Bloomberg and Kyiv Independent
2026-05-21T03:13:55.800829-07:00