GA-ASI and Kongsberg Advance Stealth Strike Missile Integration for MQ-9B Drones

Modern national security is prioritizing deep integration between 5th-generation autonomous weapons and long-range uncrewed aerial systems (UAS). Live from the Farnborough International Airshow, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI) and Norway's Kongsberg Gruppen announced the successful completion of the System Requirements Review (SRR) and Preliminary Design Review (PDR) for integrating the Joint Strike Missile (JSM) onto the MQ-9B uncrewed aircraft. The reviews were completed on June 30 in Kongsberg, Norway, marking a key milestone that moves the jointly funded industry effort from early requirements work toward a more defined design path.

The JSM is a fifth-generation stealth air-to-surface missile engineered to evade advanced air defense systems and strike high-priority land and maritime targets at ranges of hundreds of kilometers. Integrating it onto the uncrewed MQ-9B platform—which includes the SkyGuardian and SeaGuardian variants—gives Allied militaries a long-range, autonomous strike capability that can operate independently or in tandem with piloted fighter jets across multi-domain defense theaters. “Having JSM integrated onto an uncrewed air platform – the MQ-9B – enables a highly capable strike mission set that can be employed in conjunction with or independently of piloted aircraft,” said Jens Gjestvang, Kongsberg's Senior Vice President for Missiles and Aerostructures.

MQ-9B is already in service with the UK Royal Air Force, Belgian Defence, and the Japan Coast Guard, and has been selected by Canada, Denmark, Poland, Germany, India, and the U.S. Air Force. The JSM has been chosen by Norway, Japan, Australia, the US, and Germany. GA-ASI said the integration expands the aircraft's mission set beyond surveillance, addressing the survivability question that hangs over large, slow uncrewed aircraft in contested airspace. “This integration effort shows how industry can effectively collaborate to integrate new capabilities and make them available quickly to our warfighters,” said Niki Johnson, GA-ASI Vice President.