General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) presented a MQ-9B SeaGuardian® Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS), configured for Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW), at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island’s (NASWI) Open House event on August 23.
The NASWI Open House highlighted the Navy’s latest aviation technologies and legacy aircraft, with GA-ASI’s SeaGuardian offering visitors a rare close-up look at a multi-mission Group 5 UAS, the largest, most advanced category of unmanned platforms in operation today.
The MQ-9B has supported Navy missions during Northern Edge, Integrated Battle Problem 2023, and aircraft carrier pre-deployment training, where it was remotely operated from NASWI while flying in distant airspace over Hawaii, Alaska, and Southern California. Crews fly GA-ASI’s aircraft via satellite link, which means they can be sited anywhere, even thousands of miles away from where the aircraft is flying.
The MQ-9B is visiting now for the Open House to let sailors and the public see the platform that will be operated remotely from Whidbey Island in an upcoming Commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet Operational Evaluation deployment to the Indo-Pacific Command’s Area of Responsibility (AOR) in early 2026.
Equipped with its advanced onboard Detect and Avoid System, the SeaGuardian launched from GA-ASI’s facility near Palmdale, California, and flew to Whidbey Island while fully integrated into national airspace, operating like a manned aircraft without special routing.
During the event, GA-ASI highlighted a range of system innovations, including:
- Autonomous Takeoff and Landing Capability for reduced operator workload and improved mission efficiency.
- ASW Payload Suite, supporting advanced undersea warfare missions.
- Signals Intelligence and Maritime Radar Packages for wide-area ISR.
- Additional Hardpoint Pylons to demonstrate external payload carriage options, enabling modular payloads of sensors or weapons.
David R. Alexander, President of GA-ASI, commented, “I’m pleased to support the Navy’s continuing public engagement efforts with our MQ-9B and appreciate NAS Whidbey leadership’s ongoing support of SeaGuardian operations. I look forward to continuing to work together as we demonstrate the capability of this multi-faceted UAS and fill critical capability gaps.”
Leading this event was Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD) AIRWorks, which plays a key role in overseeing and supporting the development of the MQ-9B SeaGuardian. AIRWorks has partnered with GA-ASI in multiple ASW and Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance, and Targeting demonstrations, including the Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise in July 2024. NAWCAD AIRWorks is also the Lead Systems Integrator and Program Manager for the Navy Operational Evaluation of MQ-9B in 2026.
With strong demand already in place from customers around the world, GA-ASI anticipates growing interest in the MQ-9B SeaGuardian given its record of delivering high-end maritime capabilities at a significantly lower cost than traditional manned maritime platforms.
