In the runup to DEFEA 2025, Aria Mahdion, Regional Vice President, Europe/NATO and Americas, of International Strategic Development at General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI), talks to Business Partners about MQ-9B, the company’s next generation of remotely piloted aircraft systems.

What do remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS) have to offer for a nation such as Greece?

We’ve been in talks with Greek officials on that very topic. Greece has the opportunity to join the world’s most advanced nations in transforming its military, intelligence, security operations, and more with the MQ-9B remotely piloted aircraft system. The United States, United Kingdom, Belgium, Canada, India, Japan, Poland, and others are turning to MQ-9B to expand their multi-domain operations (MDO) capabilities and maritime domain awareness, connect their forces, and carry out some of their most critical missions in complex weather, airspace, and electromagnetic environments.

 

What are some of the key features of MQ-9B?

MQ-9B does things nothing else can: It can fly for around 40 hours and was built from the wheels up to not only be certifiable but also operate in non-segregated airspace, mixed in with everyday aviation traffic. The aircraft’s onboard systems deliver full-motion video as well as other kinds of detailed sensing in virtually any conditions. Onboard sensors provide high-definition electro-optical or infrared video any time of the day or night, while an onboard radar sees through clouds, haze, smoke, or fog.

MQ-9B can also accommodate a wide and growing variety of specialized payloads to handle virtually any mission, on its own or in concert with other unmanned or manned units. An MQ-9B SkyGuardian becomes a SeaGuardian, for example, when it carries a 360-degree maritime search radar that gives users a quality of maritime domain awareness they can’t achieve any other way. Artificial intelligence, machine learning, and other sophisticated technologies help unlock the rich feed of insight from these aircraft, analyze it, and distribute it to those who need it to make quick decisions.

In short, MQ-9B is the world’s premier multi-role, long-endurance remotely piloted aircraft. It is in high demand and is the perfect asset to establish a persistent common operational picture above the Aegean Sea.

 

MQ-9B is the world’s premier multi-role, long-endurance remotely piloted aircraft

 

How is the sensor information collected by MQ-9B made available to operators?

Critical to translating the data collected by the aircraft’s onboard sensors into actionable intelligence products is General Atomics’ Quadratix software suite. This includes products such as Optix, which allows operators to control multiple payloads simultaneously and generate intelligence products in real time with its TacSit-C2 module. These systems take the intelligence gathered by the MQ-9B and interpret and distribute it seamlessly so that navies, coast guard agencies, border authorities, or others can decide and act better and quicker than ever before.

 

Is DEFEA an important event for GA-ASI?

We always look forward to DEFEA. It gives us an opportunity to connect with our contacts within the Hellenic National Defence. GA-ASI is participating in the upcoming DEFEA 2025, exhibiting in the USA Pavilion in Hall 4.