The MQ-9B SeaGuardian Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) from General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. completed its participation in the U.S. Navy’s Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) flight operations on July 28, 2024. After accumulating nearly 100 flight hours during the four-week exercise around the Hawaiian Islands, the UAS self-deployed back to its home base in El Mirage, California, on July 31, 2024.
RIMPAC 2024, the world’s largest international maritime exercise, involved 29 nations, 40 surface ships, three submarines, 14 national land forces, over 150 aircraft, and 25,000 personnel.
During the exercise, SeaGuardian provided real-time Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) data to the U.S. Pacific Fleet Command Center. It utilized Signals Intelligence (SIGINT) parametric and full-motion video for real-time dynamic tasking, similar to its role in RIMPAC 2022. This year, SeaGuardian introduced new capabilities, including Long Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM) targeting and a new Sonobuoy Dispensing System (SDS) to enhance its Anti-Submarine Warfare capability.
The UAS was equipped with a prototype SDS pod capable of deploying 10 A-size sonobuoys per pod, with the ability to carry up to four SDS pods or 40 sonobuoys total. It also featured the SeaVue Multi-role radar from Raytheon, an RTX business. The deployed sonobuoys were successfully monitored and controlled by SeaGuardian’s onboard Sonobuoy Monitoring and Control System (SMCS).
As a maritime variant of the MQ-9B SkyGuardian, SeaGuardian is the first UAS offering multi-domain Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance, and Targeting (ISR&T) as an internal payload for both surface and subsurface ocean monitoring in support of Fleet Operations. At RIMPAC 2024, it demonstrated all its operational payloads, including the SeaVue radar, SNC’s Electronic Support Measures (ESM) solution, an Automatic Identification System (AIS), and a self-contained Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) system.
SeaGuardian’s multi-domain capabilities allow it to adapt to various missions and transmit real-time sensor data directly to the Fleet. For RIMPAC 2024, it incorporated Link 16 Joint Range Extension Application Protocol (JREAP) “C” (internet protocol) and an integrated Minotaur Mission System to provide real-time sensor data to various Maritime Operations Centers, ships, and aircraft with Minotaur nodes.
GA-ASI President David R. Alexander stated that during RIMPAC, the MQ-9B effectively shared ISR&T information with various surface and air units, including the Nimitz-class carrier USS Carl Vinson, Guided Missile Destroyers (DDGs), Littoral Combat Ships (LCS), frigates, patrol boats, P-8s, P-3s, and numerous other U.S. and foreign units participating in the exercise.
Following the completion of its RIMPAC duties, SeaGuardian self-deployed back to GA-ASI’s Desert Horizon Flight Operations Facility in El Mirage, California, on July 31, 2024.
