Defense companies General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI) and Lockheed Martin have decided to collaborate on the MQ-9B SeaGuardian unmanned aircraft system (UAS).
As informed, the partners aim to provide net-enabled weapons (NEW) capability for GA-ASI’s UAS. The addition of NEW capability for SeaGuardian is expected to bolster the intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and targeting (ISR&T) capability for the aircraft.
The NEW technology provides expanded sensor targeting applications for the precision targeting of long-range weapons.
GA-ASI’s MQ-9B SeaGuardian UAS, and SeaVue multi-role radar from Raytheon, an RTX business, will leverage Lockheed Martin’s NEW knowledge to further refine targeting capabilities for future theater deployments, according to the partners.
Initial testing was completed on June 5, 2024, with F/A-18s on the U.S. Navy’s W-289 test range in Southern California.
GA-ASI and Lockheed Martin have been developing Link 16 messages to communicate with weapons inflight using the SeaGuardian Systems Integration Lab (SIL) in preparation for the overwater range test flights.
“This is a very important system attribute for SeaGuardian to enable naval long-range targeting CONOPS against high-end threats at much less risk to manned platforms,” said GA-ASI President David R. Alexander .
“We appreciate Lockheed Martin’s support in helping us prove out the NEW technology, which is an important component of our ISR&T capability.”
MQ-9B SeaGuardian is a medium-altitude, long-endurance UAS. Its multi-domain capabilities allow it to flex from mission to mission.
SeaGuardian has been used by the U.S. in several recent demonstrations, including Northern Edge, Integrated Battle Problem, and Group Sail.
In February this year, the US approved a possible Foreign Military Sale (FMS) to the Government of India of MQ-9B remotely piloted aircraft.