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3d ago

GA-ASI Targets 2026 Flight Tests to Arm MQ-9B With Standoff Missiles

The effort follows finished performance analysis, with integration work under way to extend reach over vast maritime theaters.

MQ-9’s long range and extended loiter time deliver unmatched flexibility in a tactical aircraft-sized platform.
GA-ASI plans to flight-test at least one long-range weapon as early as 2026. Credit: © General Atomics.

Overview

  • General Atomics is adapting its MQ-9B SkyGuardian and SeaGuardian to carry long-range standoff weapons for naval and deep-strike missions.
  • Candidate munitions named by the company include Lockheed Martin’s JASSM, the AGM-158C LRASM, and Kongsberg/Raytheon’s JSM.
  • GA-ASI says performance analytics show the MQ-9B can haul these weapons over long distances while preserving endurance and on-station persistence.
  • The first flight with at least one of the weapons is planned for 2026, with early trials expected as captive-carry tests using an inert round.
  • A notional concept places MQ-9Bs launching from Pacific bases to loiter outside adversary engagement zones and release weapons in coordination with U.S. and allied forces, with no operational fielding announced.