The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) has selected the General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc (GA-ASI) MQ-9B SeaGuardian for its Long Endurance Unmanned Aerial Vehicle programme, GA-ASI announced on 3 December 2024.
The number of SeaGuardian platforms to be procured by the JMSDF has not yet been disclosed.
The decision follows the JMSDF’s use of SeaGuardian unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) since May 2023 as part of its Medium-Altitude, Long Endurance (MALE) Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) System Trial Operations Project.
The SeaGuardian has been used by the JMSDF to conduct various tests, including whether UAVs can supplant some of the missions currently accomplished by manned aircraft.
GA-ASI has strengthened its maritime wide area surveillance (MWAS) capabilities for Japan with its Optix+ software suite, which gathers information from the SeaGuardian sensors, as well as other data sources, displaying the full picture of surveillance information to its operator. This functionality makes it easy to task and direct the SeaGuardian’s intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) information in real time. GA-ASI’s Optix+ software rapidly correlates and exploits collected data into an easily shared common operational picture. Having multi-source correlated data enables automatic detection of anomalous behaviours over expanses of water.
SeaGuardian features two multi-mode maritime surface-search radars with an inverse synthetic aperture radar (ISAR) imaging mode, an Automatic Identification System (AIS) receiver and a high-definition – full-motion video sensor equipped with optical and infrared cameras as well as electronic intelligence receivers. This sensor suite enables real-time detection and identification of surface vessels over thousands of square nautical miles and provides automatic tracking of maritime targets and correlation of AIS transmitters with radar and electronic intelligence tracks.
The SeaGuardian UAV, which has a wingspan of 24 m and is powered by a Honeywell TPE331-10 turboprop, is designed to fly over the horizon via satellite for over 30 hours (depending on configuration) in all types of weather and safely integrate into civilian airspace, enabling joint forces and civil authorities to deliver real-time situational awareness anywhere in the maritime domain, day or night.
