GA-ASI Highlights MQ-9B Seaguardian at NAS Whidbey Island Open House
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) took part in an Open House at the Naval Air Station Whidbey Island (NASWI), Washington, on August 23, by deploying an Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW)-configured MQ-9B SeaGuardian Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS).
The naval air station’s Open House showcased modern naval aviation capabilities as well as vintage platforms. At the request of NASWI leadership, GA-ASI provided its MQ-9B SeaGuardian so attendees could view the multi-mission Group 5 UAS up close.
Whidbey Island has been a base for MQ-9B SeaGuardian’s mission capabilities as part of several Navy exercises, including Northern Edge and Integrated Battle Problem 2023. The naval base also supported the aircraft carrier pre-deployment workups.
However, the MQ-9B never landed at Whidbey Island during this time. It was controlled and its data processed remotely from the naval air station while the aircraft flew in airspace in:
- Hawaii
- Southern California
- Alaska
GA-ASI’s aircraft is flown via satellite link, so they can be sited even thousands of miles away from where the aircraft is flying. In early 2026, the MQ-9B 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).
Using its onboard Detect and Avoid System, the MQ-9B launched from its flight facility near Palmdale, California, and flew to Whidbey Island without special handling typically needed for UAS. It was able to operate in the national airspace like any other piloted aircraft.
In addition to the aircraft’s ASW payloads, GA-ASI was able to showcase autonomous landing and takeoff capability, along with onboard signals intelligence and maritime radar packages. The MQ-9B SeaGuardian was configured with additional hardpoint pylons to highlight its external carriage capability, which holds multiple stations that can support different payloads and weapons.
“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,” said GA-ASI President David R. Alexander.
Leading this event was Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD) AIRWorks, which supports and oversees 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.
GA-ASI anticipates that interest in the MQ-9B SeaGuardian will continue to grow, as it delivers impressive maritime capabilities at a much lower cost than manned maritime platforms.