Drone Tracks Multiple Targets With Radar
General Atomics and Saab tested an MQ-9B drone equipped with LoyalEye radar that tracked several airborne and maritime targets at once.
Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Robotics
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems and Saab demonstrated an MQ-9B drone using LoyalEye radar to simultaneously track multiple airborne and maritime targets. The flight tests, conducted over the past few months, validated the system's ability to detect, track, and classify airborne targets in a representative operational scenario.
Why it matters
The demonstration shows the MQ-9B can be adapted for airborne early warning, a role traditionally filled by crewed aircraft. Adding that capability is intended to extend surveillance coverage for operators in California and beyond.
The LoyalEye radar was mounted in payload pods on the MQ-9B and tracked several airborne and maritime targets simultaneously during the tests. Exact detection range and tracking capacity were not specified in the available data.
The players
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI)
A San Diego-based American defense contractor that manufactures the MQ-9 Reaper and other unmanned aircraft systems.
Saab
A Swedish defense and aerospace company that developed the LoyalEye airborne radar system demonstrated in the tests.
The details
Flight tests were conducted at General Atomics' Desert Horizon flight operations facility in Southern California, with targets including instrumented fighter jets acting as adversaries and commercial aircraft. Stakeholders observed the demonstration in real time, and the system was validated for detecting, tracking, and classifying airborne targets.
Timeline
Over the past few months: flight tests of the MQ-9B with LoyalEye radar were conducted
The Tech Race
The demonstration places an unmanned MQ-9B in a role long held by crewed platforms like the E-3 Sentry AWACS. The effort reflects a broader push to add sensing and command capabilities to uncrewed aircraft.
For most readers the demonstration is a defense-sector development rather than a consumer product change. Its practical effects would be felt through how surveillance coverage is provided in future military operations.
The takeaway
Adding airborne early warning to uncrewed aircraft could change how military surveillance is distributed across platforms. Watch for disclosed performance figures as the program matures.
Further reading
Explore more on Robotics to see how uncrewed aircraft are being adapted for new surveillance roles.
