MQ-9 Block 5 RPA is equipped with a fault-tolerant flight control system and triple redundant avionics system. Credit: General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc.

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems’ (GA-ASI) MQ-9A Block 5 remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) has successfully conducted flight test with Leonardo’s Seaspray 7500E V2 radar.

The first flight demonstrated the capabilities of Leonardo’s active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar.

Go deeper with GlobalData

Go deeper with GlobalData

The gold standard of business intelligence.

Find out more

Discover B2B Marketing That Performs

Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.

Find out more

GA-ASI International Strategic Development vice-president Robert Schoeffling said: “The benefits of this maritime patrol radar (MPR) in the complex littoral and maritime intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) environment will add world-class situational awareness for our RPA.”

Leonardo’s maritime-focused 7500E V2 radar is the latest variant of the Seaspray AESA family of radar, which enhances the operationally proven 7500E.

The latest version of radar, designed and developed in Edinburgh, UK, features updated receiver technology and latest processor, to meet the evolving requirements of the ISR missions.

The Seaspray radar also enhances the capabilities of different GA-ASI’s remotely piloted aircraft. 

GlobalData Strategic Intelligence

US Tariffs are shifting - will you react or anticipate?

Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard. Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis.

By GlobalData

Apart from MQ-9 Block 5 RPA, the new radar is being equipped on the MQ-9B SeaGuardian RPA.

In January last year, the companies started working on the integration of Seaspray radar onto the MQ-9B SeaGuardian RPA.

Leonardo Radar and Advanced Targeting sales vice-president Tony Innes said: “GA-ASI are an important partner and I’m delighted to see our joint projects generating interest in the market.

“Seaspray’s long-range, wide-area maritime and ground surveillance capability makes it an ideal fit for the MQ-9A and MQ-9B.

“The V2 offers significant range increases for certain critical modes, improved maritime detection and the ability to handle a high number of targets, while improving on its already-capable over-land mode suite.”

Naval Technology Excellence Awards - Nominations Closed

Nominations are now closed for the Naval Technology Excellence Awards. A big thanks to all the organisations that entered – your response has been outstanding, showcasing exceptional innovation, leadership, and impact.

Excellence in Action
Virtualitics has secured the Innovation and Business Expansion awards for its Integrated Readiness Optimization (IRO) suite. Discover how its explainable AI is transforming maintenance, sustainment and mission readiness, giving defence leaders faster, clearer, and more confident operational decisions.

Discover the Impact