Paris Air Show 2025: General Atomics and Saab partner on AEW MQ-9B

An artist's conception of an MQ-9B with Saab AEW equipment. The pairing is intended to begin test flights in 2026. (Saab)

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI) and Saab announced a partnership to equip the MQ-9B Reaper unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) with a podded radar for airborne early warning (AEW) missions, the companies said on 15 June at the Paris Air Show 2025 at Paris-Le Bourget Airport. The announcement marks the first AEW-tasked UAV.

The podded radar is intended to be compatible with all MQ-9B variants, including SeaGuardian and Mojave short take-off and landing (STOL) aircraft. GA-ASI intends to begin test flights of the new equipment in 2026.

“High- and low-tech air threats both pose major challenges to global air forces,” said GA-ASI president David Alexander. “We're developing an affordable AEW solution in co-operation with Saab … we're also making AEW capability possible in areas it doesn't exist today, such as from some navy warships at sea.”

Saab manufactures several radars, notably the Saab Surveillance PS-890 Erieye electronically scanned surveillance radar, which has been mounted to Saab 340 and Global 6000 platforms in ‘balance beam' configuration. The AEW equipment for the MQ-9B is to be mounted on pods to the MQ-9's existing weapons stations, but it is not immediately clear which of Saab's products the radars are to be derived from. What size, weight, and power it will require of the MQ-9B is also unclear.

“This unmanned medium-range AEW solution complements Saab's existing portfolio of manned [airborne early warning and control] systems including GlobalEye,” said Saab in its statement announcing the deal. “The solution can be used standalone or in manned-unmanned teaming, leveraging the strengths of each capability.”