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Industry · Uncrewed AEW

Saab and General Atomics flight test airborne early warning radar on MQ-9B

Saab says the flight validated detection, tracking and classification of airborne targets. The evaluation program began in May.

Saab and General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI) have flight tested Saab's LoyalEye airborne early warning (AEW) radar on the MQ-9B remotely piloted aircraft system, Saab announced Oct. 28.1

Saab and General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) have successfully flight tested an unmanned airborne early warning (AEW) capability

Oct. 28, 2026

Saab's LoyalEye airborne early warning radarMQ-9Bactual

flight tested an unmanned airborne early warning (AEW) capability

evaluation programmeMay 2026

The flight test is part of an evaluation programme that began with the system's first flight in May 2026

Saab release via PR Newswire, Oct. 28, 2026

Sources
TGOs tgos.io

Saab says the test validated the integrated system's ability to detect, track and classify airborne targets from an unmanned platform. Saab says LoyalEye on MQ-9B can operate independently or alongside manned airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) platforms.1

The flight is part of an evaluation program that began with the system's first flight in May 2026. The test took place at GA-ASI's Desert Horizon Flight Operations Facility in Southern California. Stakeholders watched the capability in real time during what Saab described as a representative operational scenario.1

GA-ASI President David R. Alexander described worldwide customer interest in AEW capability on MQ-9B as extremely high. The announcement names no customer, order or fielding schedule.1

Carl-Johan Bergholm, head of Saab's Surveillance business area, said LoyalEye is designed to complement existing AEW&C solutions with additional flexibility and persistence.1

Sources (1)
  1. Saab and GA-ASI successfully flight test LoyalEye AEW capability on MQ-9B, Saab release via PR Newswire, Oct. 28, 2026 www.prnewswire.com
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Industry · Collaborative combat aircraft

General Atomics adds Spirit Defense as FQ-42 fuselage design-build partner

Spirit Defense, a Boeing company, will support fuselage design and production as General Atomics seeks to scale manufacturing of its Air Force collaborative combat aircraft.

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI) announced on Oct. 23 a partnership with Spirit Defense to support airframe production of the FQ-42 Vengeance collaborative combat aircraft. Spirit Defense, a Boeing company, will serve as a fuselage design-build partner, supporting the program from design through production.1

Spirit Defense's role is fuselage design-build partner

FQ-42 Vengeance Collaborative Combat Aircraft

Spirit Defensefuselage design-build partnerStated scope

supporting the program from design through production

GA-ASIcontract from the Air Forceactual

In June GA-ASI won a contract from the Air Force to produce FQ-42

Source: GA-ASI, October 23, 2026

Sources
TGOs tgos.io

The partnership follows an initial Air Force order for the FQ-42A, which GA-ASI announced June 17.2 GA-ASI says Spirit Defense offers the manufacturing capacity and industrial depth to scale production faster and reduce the risk of single points of failure.1

Also announced: GA-ASI says it is discussing its Gambit Series with interested international militaries. The family of uncrewed combat jets derives partly from its FQ-42 work.1

The partnership puts Spirit Defense's engineering and manufacturing capabilities behind a program already under an Air Force production contract.1–2 Faster production remains GA-ASI's stated benefit; the announcement provides no delivery schedule or work-share split for Spirit Defense.1

Sources (2)
  1. GA-ASI: GA-ASI Partnering With Spirit Defense For FQ-42 CCA Production (Oct. 23, 2026) www.ga-asi.com
  2. GA-ASI: U.S Air Force Awards GA-ASI Production Contract for FQ-42A CCA (June 17, 2026) www.ga-asi.com
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Capital · Venture

Watchtower Labs raises $35 million to expand military planning tools

The seed round backs a logistics prototype contractor planning to expand beyond sustainment. Co-lead investor Shield Capital incubated the company.

Watchtower Labs emerged from stealth on Oct. 21, 2026, with $35 million in seed financing led by Shield Capital and Conviction, with Founders Fund participating.1

Watchtower is starting with logistics planning

$35 million in seed financing

Joint Sustainment Decision ToolJanuary 2026actual

awarded two prototype contracts to Air Space Intelligence (ASI) and Watchtower Labs, Inc.

The financingbroader operational planningplanned

The company says the financing will support team growth, more applications, and continued testing and deployment as the technology extends beyond sustainment into broader operational planning

Source: Watchtower Labs release via PR Newswire; Defense Innovation Unit. As of Oct. 21, 2026.

Sources
TGOs tgos.io

The company is starting with logistics planning and already holds a government prototype contract.1–2 It says the financing will support team growth, more applications, and continued testing and deployment as its technology extends beyond sustainment into broader operational planning.1

Shield's involvement extends beyond the financing: Watchtower was incubated within the venture firm, and Shield founder and managing partner Raj Shah chairs the company. Watchtower's co-founders include Akhil Iyer, a former Marine special operations officer and Shield investor, alongside Souren Aghajanyan and John Morman.1

The Defense Innovation Unit awarded prototype contracts to Watchtower and Air Space Intelligence in January 2026 under its Joint Sustainment Decision Tool program, following a competitive commercial solutions opening assessment.2

DIU says the vendors will deliver logistics planning tools to monitor and forecast requirements for munitions, fuel, medical materiel and spare parts. Integration with mission partners will be an early priority during the prototype period, according to DIU.2

Sources (2)
  1. Watchtower Labs press release, PR Newswire, Oct. 21, 2026 www.prnewswire.com
  2. DIU: Three Contracts Awarded To Modernize Decision-Making for DoW’s Joint Logistics Enterprise (updated July 9, 2026) www.diu.mil
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