GA-ASI Kicks Off SeaGuardian Validation Flights in Japan
Stay informed with our
free newsletters

GA-ASI Kicks Off SeaGuardian Validation Flights in Japan

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI), a global leader in Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS), kicked off a series of validation flights on Oct. 15 for Japan Coast Guard (JCG) in Hachinohe, Aomori Prefecture, Japan. GA-ASI is working with Asia Air Survey (AAS) in Japan to conduct the flights.

“We appreciate Asia Air Survey’s support in demonstrating how the MQ-9B SeaGuardian® RPAS can provide affordable, long-endurance airborne surveillance of Japan’s maritime domain,” said Linden Blue, CEO, GA-ASI. “The system’s ability to correlate multiple sensor feeds and identify vessel anomalies provides effective, persistent maritime situational awareness.”

The SeaGuardian flights will validate the wide-area maritime surveillance capabilities of RPAS for carrying out JCG’s missions, from search and rescue to maritime law enforcement. These flights follow successful “legacy” MQ-9 maritime patrol demonstrations in the Korea Strait in 2018 and the Aegean Sea in 2019. The Hachinohe operation features the MQ-9B configuration, capable of all-weather operations in civil national and international airspace.

Military Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) - Market and Technology Forecast to 2032

Military Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) - Market and Technology Forecast to 2032

Market forecasts by Region, Class, Type, and End-User. Country Analysis, Market and Technology Overview. Opportunities Analysis, and Leading Company Profiles

Download free sample pages More information

The SeaGuardian RPAS features a multi-mode maritime surface-search radar with Inverse Synthetic Aperture Radar (ISAR) imaging mode, an Automatic Identification System (AIS) receiver, a High-Definition - Full-Motion Video sensor equipped with optical and infrared cameras. This sensor suite, augmented by automatic track correlation and anomaly-detection algorithms, enables real-time detection and identification of surface vessels over thousands of square nautical miles.

GA-ASI’s MQ-9B is revolutionizing the long-endurance RPAS market by providing all-weather capability and compliance with STANAG-4671 (NATO airworthiness standard for UAVs). These features, along with an operationally proven collision-avoidance radar, enables flexible operations in civil airspace.


Publishdate:
Oct 22, 2020

Directed Energy Symposium 2025

Directed Energy Symposium 2025

National Harbor, MD
Sep 17 - 18, 2025

View agenda
Uncrewed & Autonomous Systems Conference 2025

Uncrewed & Autonomous Systems Conference 2025

London, United Kingdom
Dec 3 - 4, 2025

View agenda