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2021-02-04

MQ-9B Provides Ultimate Versatility and Reliability

For nearly 30 years, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) has developed, manufactured and delivered one of the most successful Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) in the world. The GA-ASI UAS platforms boast 6.5 million flight hours, and the company has been identified as the supplier of the most utilised aircraft in the United States Air Force’s current force structure, with an over 90 per cent mission-capable rate.

In almost three decades, GA-ASI has developed 26 variants of the highly successful Predator-series aircraft, ranging in size from a few hundred pounds to nearly 20,000 pounds, to support the dynamic security needs of the United States and its allies.

MQ-9B SkyGuardian/SeaGuardian is the company’s newest version of the MQ-9-series platform featuring true game-changing capabilities for unmanned aircraft. These capabilities include an air traffic collision avoidance system; a type certificate design that will enable the MQ-9B to integrate into national airspace systems instead of being segregated into restrictive airspace; and all-weather capabilities, so the aircraft can operate in inclement weather using de-ice, anti-ice and lightning protection systems. A full SATCOM expeditionary operations capability is also included, which enables customers to operate from shorter airfields with less manning and reduced support equipment footprints – anywhere in the world.

GA-ASI provides unmanned systems that are complete end-to-end solutions of multiple sensors, along with weapons integration, sensor exploitation and ISR task-management command software.

Rapid Integration

MQ-9B SkyGuardian and SeaGuardian, the maritime variant, are designed for ultimate versatility and reliability. While MQ-9B is a successor to the highly utilised MQ-9A, it is redesigned to increase mission capabilities and meet strict airworthiness type certification standards and airspace integration regulations. Additionally, the MQ-9B’s open architecture allows for rapid integration of new mission capabilities and adaptation to changing mission requirements through ‘Bolt-on, Bolt-off’ mission kits. These will enable the MQ-9B to easily transition from over-land to over-sea surveillance, using the maritime or anti-submarine warfare mission kits in combination with its HD EO/IR and multi-mode radar, to enable true cross-domain capability.

The SeaGuardian is missionised for maritime surveillance and anti-submarine warfare (ASW) operations. The maritime surveillance mission kit includes a wideband maritime surveillance radar, such as the Raytheon SeaVue or Leonardo Seaspray installed in a centreline-mounted radar pod.

GA-ASI recently completed development and testing of reportedly the world’s first self-contained ASW capability for a UAS. An ASW mission kit can be installed to expand missions to include subsurface search capabilities. The mission kit includes an airborne sonobuoy receiver, acoustic processor and sonobuoy dispensing pods (SDPs) that can carry 10 A-size or 20 G-size sonobuoys per pod. A total of four SDPs can be installed, providing for significant ASW capability. Finally, an integrated ESM/ SIGINT mission kit can also be installed with the maritime surveillance and ASW mission kits to expand the collection capability to the RF spectrum and provide a complete maritime and ASW mission capability.

Civil Applications

The growing demand for support to civilian security missions has seen several collaborative MQ-9 demonstrations in the past two years. In 2018, a range of civilian support missions were flown from Iki Island in Japan over a two-week period. In 2019, a series of maritime support missions were flown from Greece. These activities reinforced the multi-domain capability of the MQ-9 RPAS, particularly on a diverse array of civil support missions. The most recent civil security demonstration was sponsored by the Japan Coast Guard (JCG) and conducted in Japan October-November 2020.

In this JCG demonstration, GA-ASI flew a series of validation flights featuring the MQ-9B SeaGuardian. These flights validated SeaGuardian’s cost-effective, real-time, wide-area maritime surveillance capabilities by conducting search and rescue, disaster response, and maritime law enforcement missions.

Mission durations ranged from six to more than 24 hours, often focusing on multiple tasks during a single sortie. The SeaGuardian operated in complex airspace, without the need for a chase plane, with separation coordinated through the Japan Civil Aviation Bureau, as well as operating in trans-oceanic airspace over 1,500 nautical miles from home base.

The SeaGuardian’s leading Detect and Avoid Systems played an important role for airspace access. While detailed analysis of this recent JCG validation trial continues, it was apparent that the platform provided unprecedented ISR to the JCG in a cost-effective manner, using a small footprint and workforce. The recent JCG validation trial in Japan using the MQ-9B SeaGuardian offers a contemporary example for employment of the system in a multi-domain, civil security context.

Looking to the Future

GA-ASI is investing in new platforms, sensors, command, control and exploitation systems, as well as space-based assets. From a UAS-platform perspective, the unique capabilities and expanded missions of the MQ-9B offer distinct applicability. The company is constantly innovating for the future and developing step-change technologies to keep customers ahead of the competition.

GA-ASI is exhibiting at stand 02-B12

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