During the Open House on last August 23 at the Naval Air Station Whidbey Island (NASWI), Washington, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. (GA-ASI) showcased an MQ-9B SeaGuardian Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) configured for anti-submarine warfare (ASW).
Thanks to its advanced integrated detection and collision avoidance system, the MQ-9B was able to take off from its flight base near Palmdale, California, and reach Whidbey Island without the usual special maneuvers required for drones.
In fact, the MQ-9B SeaGuardian was able to operate in the national US airspace just like any other piloted aircraft, remotely piloted by GA-ASI staff via satellite link.
Besides demonstrating the ASW payloads of the aircraft, GA-ASI was able to showcase its capacity for autonomous landing and takeoff and exhibit the onboard maritime radar and signal intelligence packages.
Moreover, the MQ-9B SeaGuardian was configured with additional attack pylons to display its external transport capacity, including multiple stations supporting various payloads and weapon systems.
Source and photo credit @General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. (GA-ASI)
