MQ-9B Drone Passes LoyalEye Radar Test, Tracking Fighter Jets

Why a drone needs a radar

Airborne radars can see beyond the horizon of ground stations. The curvature of the Earth can hide a low-flying aircraft, helicopter or cruise missile from a distant ground radar, while an antenna raised several kilometres up spots such threats much earlier. Armies have long relied on crewed AWACS-type aircraft for this job. LoyalEye puts the radar on an uncrewed platform capable of very long patrols. On the MQ-9B it sits in underwing pods, and data can be sent to command posts, including by satellite link, so operators do not need to be on board.

What it means for Poland

Poland signed a contract on 12 December 2024 for three MQ-9B SkyGuardian drones worth about 310 million dollars net, roughly 1.2 billion zlotys at the time. The deal also covers two ground control stations, a training package and three years of manufacturer support. The drones will replace leased MQ-9A Reapers used since 2023. On 30 October, Defence Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz said the first aircraft would arrive in January 2027, with the rest due by the end of the first quarter.

The contract covers the reconnaissance configuration, including electro-optical sensors, a synthetic aperture radar and electronic intelligence systems. No order for AEW equipment has been announced. There is also no price for LoyalEye, no date for serial deliveries and no integration schedule for Polish aircraft. Saab and General Atomics are talking to potential customers but have not said whether Poland is among them.

The MQ-9B can stay airborne for more than 40 hours depending on configuration, though extra radar pods may shorten patrol time and the manufacturer has not published figures for such a setup. Poland already operates two Saab 340 AEW aircraft with Erieye radars.