Blueprint

DEFENCE

MQ-9B gets sea legs

US UAV manufacturer General Atomics-ASI has unveiled a new quick-change variant of its MQ-9B MALE drone, a ship-based STOL kit. The naval MQ-9B STOL uses the common fuselage of the Sky Guardian/ Sea Guardian but adds new folding wings and larger V-tail which the company says can be swapped between the standard wings and empennage in just a few hours. With the STOL kit installed, the MQ-9B’s take-off distance is reduced from 3,500ft for land runways to under 1,000ft, allowing it to operate from aircraft carriers or amphibious assault ships. Renders released by GA-ASI also show the MQ-9B armed with sonobuoy pods and AIM-9X air-to-air missiles.

‘Call the ball’

The MQ-9B’s existing automatic take-off and landing systems can be integrated with existing auto recovery systems, such as the Joint Precision Approach and Landing System (JPALS). In flight, control can be passed via satellite to other controllers or even other crewed aircraft.

Folding wings

The new wings would feature an asymmetric folding mechanism to reduce deck footprint and overall height.

Quick change

Swapping between the STOL wings/tail and conventional wing-tail would allow maximum flexibility for commanders, allowing the MQ-9B to use its regular long-span wings for maximum endurance from land bases or keeping adversaries guessing by island-hopping beyond the range of the STOL variant.

Specifications

Endurance Approx 30hr
Payload 3,600lb
Cruising speed 175kt

Full length flaperons

Full span high-lift flaperons on the MQ-9B would give STOL performance, allowing the MQ-9B to land and take off on small carriers without the need for catapults or arrestor gear.

Weapon fits

Renderings of the MQ-9B STOL show sonobuoy pods and short-range AIM-9X air-to-air missiles for self defence. Land-based MQ-9s already fly with Hellfire and LGBs while, in April 2022, General Atomics revealed it had integrated the Leonardo Seaspray 7500E V2 multimode maritime radar on to the MQ-9.