The flight took place at GA-ASI’s Desert Horizon Flight Operations Facility in Southern California. Stakeholders attended and observed the system’s performance in real time during a representative operational scenario, according to Saab.
LoyalEye on the MQ-9B can operate independently or alongside crewed airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft. The capability is intended to provide persistent surveillance across large areas where endurance, geographic reach and reduced aircrew exposure are critical.
“This flight test marks an important milestone in the development of unmanned airborne early warning capabilities. LoyalEye is designed to complement existing AEW&C solutions by providing additional flexibility and persistence, and today’s flight validates the capability in a representative operational scenario”, said Carl-Johan Bergholm, head of Saab’s business area Surveillance.
“This has been one of the most highly anticipated flight tests we have performed,” said GA-ASI President David R. Alexander. “The level of customer interest in AEW capability on MQ-9B throughout the world is extremely high.”
