General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc (GA-ASI) has teamed up with Leonardo to integrate SAGE electronic warfare surveillance system onto its MQ-9B unmanned aerial vehicle.
SAGE will be offered as an available baseline configuration for MQ-9B customers of Sky Guardian and maritime surveillance Sea Guardian configurations.
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Under an agreement announced July 16, the two companies will jointly invest in the project which will see SAGE integrated into the MQ-9B airframe without the need for external pod(s).
Integration work has already begun and the MQ-9B featuring SAGE will be available to order as soon as 2019, the companies said.
SAGE is a digital ELINT (electronic intelligence) sensor with a built-in 360⁰ RWR (radar-warning receiver) capability. It is used to detect, identify and geo-locate radio frequency (RF) signals, such as radar fire-control systems, and can alert operators to potential threats to the aircraft.
According to Leonardo, the system can identify the location and parametric data of specific RF emitters from a single platform. It is already in service with the South Korean Navy, Brazilian Navy and Indonesian Air Force.
SAGE will be integrated into the MQ-9B airframe, as opposed to being fitted via an external pod. The lack of an added pod for the ESM capability will reduce the platform mass of the equipped MQ-9B, maximizing endurance.
The MQ-9B is the latest evolution of GA-ASI’s Predator B fleet. The baseline MQ-9B aircraft is named SkyGuardian and the maritime surveillance variant is called SeaGuardian.
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General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc (GA-ASI) has teamed up with Leonardo to integrate SAGE electronic warfare surveillance system onto its MQ-9B unmanned aerial vehicle. SAGE will be offered as an available baseline configuration for MQ-9B customers of Sky Guardian and maritime surveillance Se
