Saab and GA-ASI fly world’s first uncrewed AEW aircraft

Swedish company Saab and California-based General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) have successfully completed the first flight of the world’s first uncrewed Airborne Early Warning (AEW) aircraft. Saab’s LoyalEye radar sensor was integrated with GA-ASI’s unmanned MQ-9B aircraft.

The partnership between the two companies, announced in 2025, aims to enhance airborne early warning surveillance capabilities to support critical decision-making, according to a media release by Saab.

The first flight took place at GA-ASI’s Desert Horizon facility in Southern California. This milestone marks the start of a several-month test and evaluation phase, which will culminate in a full capability demonstration later this year, Saab says.

“LoyalEye on the MQ-9B offers critical airborne sensing, supporting extended persistence and operational reach”, said Carl Johan Bergholm, Head of Saab’s business area Surveillance. “As a complement to manned assets, it aims to enhance situational awareness and, in combination, enable greater operational reach and flexibility”

“AEW for MQ-9B will offer critical aloft sensing to defend against tactical air munitions, guided missiles, drones, fighter and bomber aircraft, and other threats,” said GA-ASI President David R. Alexander. “Operational availability for a medium-altitude, long-endurance UAS is the highest of any military aircraft, and as an unmanned platform, its aircrews are not put into harm’s way.”

The joint AEW offering from Saab and GA-ASI will support a wide range of applications, including early detection and warning, long-range detection and tracking, and the simultaneous tracking of multiple targets. The system will operate both beyond the line of sight and via Satellite Communication (SATCOM) connectivity.