The System Requirements Review and Preliminary Design Review were completed in Kongsberg, Norway, on June 30. The milestone moves the integration effort from early requirements work toward a more defined design path.
MQ-9B is built by GA-ASI and includes the SkyGuardian and SeaGuardian variants. The aircraft is a long-endurance uncrewed platform designed for missions over land and at sea.
Kongsberg produces the Joint Strike Missile, a fifth-generation stealth air-to-surface missile. The weapon is designed for use against high-priority targets.
“We recognize the value JSM brings to our MQ-9B platform,” said Niki Johnson, GA-ASI Vice President, International Capture and Government Affairs. “This integration effort shows how industry can effectively collaborate to integrate new capabilities and make them available quickly to our warfighters.”
For MQ-9B, the missile integration would expand the aircraft’s mission set beyond surveillance and multi-domain operations. It would also give operators an uncrewed strike option that can work alongside crewed aircraft or operate separately.
“Having JSM integrated onto an uncrewed air platform – the MQ-9B – enables a highly capable strike mission set that can be employed in conjunction with or independently of piloted aircraft. This is an operational capability that we’re seeing greater interest in across the defence sector,” said Jens Gjestvang, Senior Vice President, Missiles and Aerostructures.
GA-ASI said MQ-9B is a multi-mission, multi-domain aircraft that can operate in all weather conditions. The platform has already been adopted by several U.S. allies and partners.
MQ-9B aircraft are flown by the United Kingdom’s Royal Air Force, Belgian Defence and the Japan Coast Guard. The system has also been selected by Canada, Denmark, Poland, Germany, Qatar, Taiwan, India and the U.S. Air Force in support of Special Operations Command.
The aircraft has also appeared in multiple U.S. Navy exercises. Those include Northern Edge, Integrated Battle Problem, RIMPAC and Group Sail.
The work gives GA-ASI and Kongsberg a clearer path for adding precision strike capability to MQ-9B. It also reflects rising demand for uncrewed aircraft that can carry advanced weapons while supporting distributed operations.
