Saab has announced a strategic collaboration with General Atomics Aeronautical Systems to develop a new uncrewed airborne early warning (AEW) capability based on the MQ-9B platform.
The partnership brings together Saab’s decades of experience in airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) technologies with General Atomics’ expertise in long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicles. The new solution will see Saab’s radar and sensor technology integrated with the MQ-9B SkyGuardian to provide a medium-altitude AEW platform capable of delivering wide-area situational awareness.
According to Saab, the system will “leverage core competencies of both companies” to offer “persistent surveillance and situational awareness by providing continuous monitoring of designated areas.” The solution can be deployed independently or as part of manned-unmanned teaming operations, with potential applications across land, sea, and air domains.
“This unmanned medium-altitude AEW solution… has excellent potential to complement our existing AEW&C portfolio and provide customers with yet another cutting-edge capability,” said Carl-Johan Bergholm, head of Saab’s business area Surveillance.
The move reflects a growing trend in global defence to shift from legacy manned systems to more flexible, cost-efficient, and survivable autonomous platforms. It also aligns with wider interest from several NATO countries, including the United Kingdom, in exploring the utility of large RPAS in AEW roles.
The UK Ministry of Defence has confirmed that the MQ-9B is currently being assessed as a possible future AEW platform for the Royal Navy, particularly as a long-term successor to the Crowsnest system currently deployed on Merlin helicopters.
In a recent response to a parliamentary question, Defence Minister Maria Eagle said: “The Ministry of Defence is actively assessing the potential of uncrewed remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS) to support airborne early warning (AEW) roles across the air environment… future developments may enable their use in AEW missions.”
She added that “the General Atomics MQ-9 can be modified to operate from the Queen Elizabeth Class carriers,” and that it is being considered for “Carrier Strike Airborne Early Warning following the planned withdrawal of the Crowsnest Airborne Early Warning system when it reaches the end of its service life.”
This follows the success of the Mojave unmanned aircraft trial from HMS Prince of Wales in 2023, which demonstrated the feasibility of launching and recovering large uncrewed aerial systems (UAS) from the Royal Navy’s flagship carrier. The MQ-9B is now being seen as a candidate for extending that capability into AEW operations.
The MQ-9B SkyGuardian is General Atomics’ latest evolution of the Predator series, capable of flying for over 40 hours in all weather conditions, integrating into civil airspace, and supporting joint civil and military ISR missions. It features the Lynx Multi-mode Radar, advanced EO/IR sensors, automatic takeoff and landing, and a 24-metre wingspan.
The UK is already acquiring a variant of the MQ-9B as the Protector RG Mk1, entering service as a core part of its next-generation ISTAR capability.
A great partnership. I am sure that if UK MOD are serious about parting with some money for this capability rather than just talking, this will go straight to the top of the list.
Fantastic, I’ll look forward to seeing it on a carrier by 2040, if I live that long.
“Time and tide waits for no man”.
I agree that it’s hard to be patient when we’ve seen year-after-year of cuts and never-ending capability gaps.
Unfortunately, developing new military technologies takes an excruciating long time, especially when you’re not under immediate threat of attack; as the Ukrainians are showing us in spades – they’re innovating like nobodies business under the immediate threat of attack.
I saw an image today of a Ukrainian long-range drone glider being towed behind another powered drone (to enable the long range strikes deep into Russian territory). Things are moving very quickly and today’s cutting edge is tomorrow’s failed experiment.
Personally, I think building a robust, flexible and innovative manufacturing base (so we can be prepared for any slugfest against Russia/China) must be a top priority. Done right, it will be a key enabler for our Armed Forces.
Cheers.
Exactly. It is about building and retaining the capability and capacity to do things – not let everything die off so that we are then caught with collective trousers around our ankles and having to cough up vast sums of £dosh to foreign designers/manufacturers.
Please, please, please can we just go out and buy these. 8 for the carriers and probably a similar number for UK AEW to supplement the E7.
If we are serious about the MPA version as well the UK should be looking at a fleet of 40 or so MQ9’s able to interchange between MPA,AEW and ISTAR with the ability to swap out wings to operate from Queen Elizabeth class as well.
The system may be proved to be good, but good luck trying to handle 24 mts wingspan on a moving deck even in daylight. At 02.30 winter North Atlantic it will be a heck of a job, even if they can reduce the span.
How much would negative flaps and/or ailerons prevent the wings lifting up on the deck?
The STOL kits have power folding and so hopefully the only risk will be immediately following landing or before launch.
Precisly, this do not make any sense for a carrier, it is too big. Note that you need to take the wings out to be able to go to the hangar.
They don’t exist yet numbnuts
But the MPA does, which would be a very useful increase in capability.
Adding in STOL and AEW would just be the cherry on top.
ATM this is an idea pitch deck.
It isn’t actually a real thing.
*If* it ever becomes a real thing that can be bought at fixed prices then yes it is worth a think.
But as others have pointed out it’s wing span is far too big ATM. If you reduce it too much you’ve made a totally different type.
If Saab and GA can pull this off, in the MQ-9 Mojave configuration, then it’s a coup for the QE class of carriers. The existing benchmark we are probably looking to at least match, in terms of capability, is the E2D Hawkeye. Service ceiling of the Mojave is stated as 52,000ft in some sources but, loaded with an AEW RADAR, that might perhaps mean a height penalty that puts it nearer to the the E2Ds circa 35,000ft. Compare this to our existing, troubled, incumbent, the AEW Merlin, that reaches circa 15,000ft, this Saab-GA proposal has potential as a descent solution for our carriers. This then begs the question, are GA also looking at our other capability hole in the carriers, a carrier-borne tanker? I’m imagining those two wing tanks that might house the Saab RADAR being swapped out for fuel tanks? Of course, there’s a lot more to the integration of a solution than that, maybe it would be more practical to have separate MQ-9 types for the two roles? Lot of potential opening up here, good to see.
It is obviously good to see solutionising going on.
But there is a long way to go before this is anything like an E2D.
In that respect isn’t something more E2Dlike about the solution. Something based on a commercial frame that can be optionally crewed UKR style? I find it quite hard to believes that it isn’t possible to use modern engineering to toughen the fixed points for the undercarriage enough on a number of mid weight aircraft to make them ski jump compatible?
Are ever going to buy any thing or just say we are looking at it, as that is all that has happened for well over a year on every thing,
Just what the Admiral requested for the flight decks of our flattops. 3 to each and 3 ashore for spare and training. 849NAS back in business and the Merlins going off to hunt subs. We could actually be getting there. Too much talking we need the action NOW.
Does anyone have any up to date info on Project Ark Royal or is Dead in the Water ?
This looks like an ideal solution but I think that they will need to be very careful about landing and take off weights. Yes they trialed a Mojave off HMS Prince of Wales but that was off the coast of Florida but that was in ideal conditions.
IMHO for this and for other reasons they really need to get a wiggle on and modify the Carriers for STOBAR and then maybe CATOBAR so an angled deck to increase the runway for landing with AAG and then later some form of Catapult.
The advantages are pretty obvious, you can operate heavy UAV such as this AEW one, but it opens up many other options. Probably the most important is you can start to cross deck with US and French Carriers.
The French Rafale & USN F18 have both been tested and certified for STOBAR operations as part of them competing for an order for the Indian Navy.
Then again if they just bit the bullet and fitted full bore EMAL they can operate E2E Hawkeye AEW and MQ25 tankers.
ABC Dave,
With the upmoast respect to all the experts and those in the know on this fine comment section.
How the hell would we know ?.
“It’s not my fault I’m like this, I was dropped on the way out”.
“It’s not my fault I’m like this, I was dropped on the way out”.
Ha ha, love it.
That all depends on ££££ becoming real as opposed to Rachel adding other ring fenced budgets to defence to increase the size of the defence budget!
Can’t see them ever fitting a full angled deck and cats. It would completely invalidate the B purchases, require a hell of a lot of work as I understand and we’d not buy enough aircraft to make it worthwhile anyway so likely end up crossdecking USN/MC F-35C too.
Which if the T31 frigates would you cancel to pay for the EMALs? Or T26 if you’re converting both carriers.
Saasb stated “It will provide customers with a wider range of options, such as AEW capability from naval warships, to meet mission needs.” So there’s confirmation it isn’t expected to be only land-based!
Furthermore GA announced “General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) is partnering with Saab to develop Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) capability for its line of MQ-9B Remotely Piloted Aircraft, which includes the SkyGuardian® and SeaGuardian® models, the United Kingdom’s Protector, and the new MQ-9B STOL (Short Takeoff and Landing) model currently in development. GA-ASI plans to fly AEW on MQ-9B in 2026.”
So that’s some really good news.
I don’t know how long we’ll have to wait for MQ-9B STOL, but I hope the RAF take this capability up sooner rather than later. If the Protectors can back up the P-8s and the E-7s, they should help flesh out the numbers in two underfunded capabilities.
Interesting question, would these be RAF, FAA, or a similar arrangement as the Lightning Force?
Latter makes the most sense.
Are going to need 8 buy 4 then only finally get 2 much like most of things MOD does? if we need 8 buy 10 have a spare. Be interesting which cheap option is picked or will it make our own at massive cost that does not work well and then have spend more fixing it but still will crap a bit like Nimrod AEW.
Then system will mostly likely be podded with an additional power gen unit to ensure they have the energy to do the job. The Radars are about already just need measuring up to make the fit and of course the secure link to the carrier to ensure the picture is seen by those that need too.
STOL already proven from our carriers so Id suggest an uprated main engine and your away. Could be done in a relatively short time if the desire and will is there. We did in the Falklands is some recall! And would not cost as much as the hash up on Merlin which provides little over the Seakings hat did the role before.
Pair it with a couple of Mojave carrying 4-6 Meteor’s and you have long endurance CAP over CSG