General Atomics Aeronautical Systems and Kongsberg Gruppen have successfully completed the System Requirements Review and Preliminary Design Review for integrating the Joint Strike Missile (JSM) onto the MQ-9B unmanned aerial system. Conducted in Norway during late June, the reviews mark an important transition from defining operational requirements to advancing the aircraft’s detailed design and integration phase. The jointly funded program seeks to equip MQ-9B variants, including the SkyGuardian and SeaGuardian, with Kongsberg’s fifth-generation precision strike missile, significantly expanding the drone’s ability to engage high-value land and maritime targets at long range. Once integrated, the JSM will provide the MQ-9B family with advanced stand-off strike capability while enhancing survivability through low-observable flight characteristics and precision guidance. The milestone demonstrates continued progress in transforming the MQ-9B from an intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance platform into a multi-role unmanned combat system capable of supporting complex military operations across multiple domains.
