Saab and General Atomics Team Up to Develop Airborne Early Warning UAV

In a strategic move to enhance airborne surveillance capabilities,Swedish aerospace and defense company Saab announced a partnership with American firm General Atomics on June 16,2025,to develop an unmanned airborne early warning (UAEW) system. The collaboration focuses on integrating Saab’s advanced airborne early warning (AEW) sensors into General Atomics’ MQ-9B SkyGuardian drone, creating a cutting-edge solution for persistent surveillance and situational awareness.

Unmanned Airborne Early Warning System Takes Flight

Under the cooperation agreement, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems will integrate Saab’s AEW sensors into its unmanned aircraft, enabling continuous supervision of designated areas and providing critical situational awareness [1]. This integration aims to deliver a cost-effective and versatile solution for early airborne warning, suitable for a wide range of operational scenarios.

Did You Know? The MQ-9B SkyGuardian can fly for over 40 hours and reach altitudes of over 40,000 feet, making it ideal for long-endurance surveillance missions [2].

Executive Perspectives on the Partnership

Carl-Johan Bergholm, director of Saab’s surveillance business area, emphasized the meaning of this collaboration, stating, “We are carrying our exceptional capacity to detect and track challenging objects to customers who seek to use the MQ-9B to meet their specific needs. This non-manned AEW solution of average altitude, which takes advantage of the key competences of both companies, has excellent potential to complement our existing AEW & C systems portfolio and provide customers with a vanguard capacity.”

Enhancing Airborne Warning Capabilities

The strategic cooperation will enhance the early airborne warning capabilities of operators by diversifying the employment methods of the MQ-9B SkyGuardian. This new version of the drone can be deployed in various scenarios, including naval operations from warships, and can be used independently or in manned-unmanned mixed equipment scenarios.

Pro Tip: Integrating unmanned systems with manned aircraft can significantly improve situational awareness and reduce risks in complex operational environments.

General Atomics’ Continued Innovation in Unmanned Aircraft

For General Atomics, this partnership marks another milestone in the development and modernization of unmanned aircraft. The company has recently showcased the capabilities of the Drone Stol MQ-1C Gray Eagle, which operated from one of the amphibious assault ships of the South Korean Navy in November 2024 [3]. Additionally, the Mojave drone successfully executed the first shots with pods of Dillon Dap-6 machine guns during tests in April 2024 [4].

Saab’s Advances in Artificial intelligence

Saab has also achieved significant milestones, including the successful trial flights of the Gripen E fighter equipped with the Centaur artificial intelligence system in June 2025.This demonstrates Saab’s commitment to integrating advanced AI technologies into its defense solutions [5].

Comparison of Key Features