The U.S. Air Force introduced the MQ-9 Reaper drone in 2007 as a larger weapons platform than its predecessor, the MQ-1 Predator drone. The Reaper looks very much like the Predator, only larger and capable of carrying a variety of weapons. These include the AGM-114 Hellfire II and GBU-12, 500-pound laser-guided bombs. The Reaper also boasts an exceptionally long endurance of 34 hours, so it’s proven a fantastic uncrewed aerial system for nearly two decades.

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Still, the Air Force is retiring the MQ-9 Reaper drone as it’s approaching the end of its service life. It will continue to operate until 2035, so it’s not leaving just yet. But the Air Force is transitioning to the Reaper’s successor, though it isn’t looking too far from the proven platform. The next phase in the Reaper’s life cycle involves the MQ-9B SkyGuardian and MQ-9B SeaGuardian, both of them next-generation variants of the Reaper introduced in 2020.

These new platforms include impressive upgrades to their predecessor, and as their names imply, they’re tailored to specific mission sets in the air and in support of seaborne operations. On top of their general improvements, new steps are being taken to enable them to hunt submarines, launch different types of weapons, and function as carriers to deploy their own smaller drones. Because drone warfare is proving to be the future of armed conflict, these upgrades to the MQ-9 platform will take it well into the future of semi-autonomous military operations.

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The MQ-9B SkyGuardian was developed by General Atomics Aeronautical to function as a persistent intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance platform capable of flying for over 40 hours. It was also designed to operate in civil airspace, which allows for joint operations with NATO and other allies. It boasts a longer wingspan than its predecessor, stretching 79 feet versus the Reaper’s 66 feet. In addition to military applications, the SkyGuardian can be used for law enforcement, search and rescue, and more. 

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The MQ-9B SeaGuardian is similar, though it is focused on maritime support and has an endurance of 30-plus hours. It, too, can operate in civil airspace and employs maritime radar to support operations on the water. It also can conduct real-time search and patrol, both on the surface and below — the first aircraft of its kind to have this ability.

Perhaps its most impressive feature is its use in anti-submarine warfare, conducted via its integrated sonobuoy management and control system. SeaGuardian can dispense sonobuoys directly into the ocean, letting it monitor activity beneath the surface. It can do this anywhere in the world, making the SeaGuardian indispensable to military maritime operations for the U.S. and its allies. And like SkyGuardian, SeaGuardian has multiple attachment points, so both can swap in or out various components depending on mission requirements, making them highly adaptable to all kinds of environments.

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General Atomics began testing different configurations of the Sky and SeaGuardian shortly after its introduction. These included the sonobuoy deployment system, which released 10 of three types into the water. Still, the most notable developing feature is the ability to launch a dedicated swarm of support drones. Air Force Special Operations Command is the driving force in tailoring the SkyGuardian to deploy its own drones under the Adaptive Airborne Enterprise concept.

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That will be the primary focus of Special Operations’ SkyGuardian use, so it’s an important improvement in its capabilities. The idea is to deploy a SkyGuardian loaded with a variety of small- and medium-sized drones to make an adapative airborne swarm. Onboard and offsite artificial intelligence would control them, reducing the number of humans required to operate them to just one. Special Operations Command hasn’t gone into detail about the specifics of these deployable drones, but the added capabilities are almost endless.

The SkyGuardian’s range and endurance mean it can fly into safe airspace and deploy a swarm of disposable drones to move into a hostile zone. These could be used to relay data back to ensure the SkyGuardian’s survival in dangerous areas. Other future possibilities for adaptive airborne swarms include scouting missions, jamming, or even striking targets — cooperatively with their parent drone or independently to achieve a wider spread of objectives. This would not only help keep the MQ-9B operational but also be relevant in future drone operations.

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