General Atomics confirms talks with Saudi Arabia for up to 130 MQ-9B drones
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General Atomics Aeronautical Systems confirms that discussions with Saudi Arabia are underway for a package that could include up to 130 MQ-9B and 200 Gambit drones, noting that the scope and configuration remain under review.
In an interview with Breaking Defense on November 18, 2025, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems President David Alexander confirmed that Saudi Arabia is negotiating a package that includes up to 130 MQ-9B drones equipped with short takeoff and landing (STOL) features, as well as up to 200 Gambit collaborative combat aircraft (CCAs), describing the discussions as ongoing and still subject to refinement. The discussions follow recent demonstrations of a Gambit drone controlled from an F-22 cockpit and coincide with updated political conditions that have enabled a renewed U.S.-Saudi defense cooperation.Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link
General Atomics has also developed a short takeoff and landing kit based on components from its Mojave demonstrator, enabling MQ-9Bs to operate from short runways or aviation-capable ships by replacing wings, tail surfaces and propellers with optimized equivalents. (Picture source: Army Recognition)
Alexander stated that Saudi Arabia is negotiating a package that includes up to 130 MQ-9B drones equipped with short takeoff and landing (STOL) features, as well as up to 200 Gambit collaborative combat aircraft (CCAs), describing the discussions as ongoing and still subject to refinement. He explained that the proposal covers Gambit CCAs designed to operate in coordination with manned fighters, as recently demonstrated by a Gambit drone controlled from an F-22 cockpit using a tablet and a simple command interface. Alexander noted that initial conditions that had delayed a separate MQ-9B arrangement with the United Arab Emirates had been removed, allowing progress on a maritime MQ-9B configuration equipped with anti-submarine warfare components and five locally produced weapons. He added that the company displayed a full-scale model of the YFQ-42 Gambit prototype in Dubai and would bring it to major events in Qatar and Saudi Arabia to meet interest from other regional governments.
Alexander described the Saudi discussions as the largest potential international program his company has considered in the region and emphasized that the volume of drones involved (up to 330) would allow significant manufacturing, assembly and maintenance activity to be conducted inside the Kingdom. He explained that higher quantities make it easier to include indigenous content in both airframes and sensor systems, and that unmanned aircraft can be produced at a higher rate than manned fighters while allowing operators to employ coordinated swarms when required. He said the current talks revolve around up to 130 MQ-9Bs and up to 200 CCAs, while also noting that configurations may be updated to reflect delivery timelines, cost changes and operational needs that emerged after the long gap since the first Letter of Acceptance with the UAE. He also observed that almost all major international agreements in this category involve some degree of domestic participation, including maintenance facilities, sensor integration and the partial assembly used in India, the UAE, and Canada.
Saudi interest in the MQ-9B builds on several years of exchanges, including statements at IDEX 2025 indicating a substantial requirement for the SeaGuardian variant and a potential package that could create a large number of jobs in the United States while developing industrial activity in the Kingdom. Earlier proposals linked to a broader defense relationship valued at roughly $142 billion included air and space capabilities, missile defense, naval and coastal security improvements, border and ground force modernization and information system upgrades, with MQ-9Bs presented as part of that framework. Saudi Arabia had previously purchased Chinese CH-4 and Wing Loong II drones and acquired Turkish Akinci UAVs, while also expressing frustration with U.S. export delays and conditions that affected regional requests, such as Qatar’s attempt to acquire MQ-9Bs in 2021. The recent Strategic Defense Agreement between Washington and Riyadh established a non-NATO ally designation for Saudi Arabia and included approval for F-35 fighter jets and nearly 300 M1 Abrams tanks, creating a political environment in which the MQ-9B and Gambit CCA package is being pursued.
The MQ-9B family, including the SkyGuardian and SeaGuardian variants, was developed to meet NATO STANAG 4671 airworthiness standards and to function in civil airspace environments with detect-and-avoid systems, revised composite structures, and lightning protection measures. The unmanned aircraft has a wingspan of about 24 meters, a length of roughly 12 meters, a maximum external payload capacity of 2,155 kilograms on nine hardpoints and an internal payload capacity of approximately 363 kilograms, depending on the configuration. Endurance figures vary by mission but reach more than 27 hours in some profiles, with design specifications enabling more than 40 hours at altitudes approaching 15,000 meters using a Honeywell TPE331-10 turboprop engine. The airframe is designed for 40,000 flight hours and includes de-icing systems, lightning protection capabilities and structural features to support operations in adverse weather conditions across both military and civilian airspace.
Mission systems expand the MQ-9B’s operational roles to include a wide range of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance tasks as well as maritime, electronic and early warning missions. The drone carries a Lynx multi-mode radar and advanced electro-optical and infrared sensors, with optional equipment including a 360° maritime radar, automatic identification system (AIS) receivers, electronic warfare sensors and an anti-submarine warfare package using podded sonobuoy dispensers and an acoustic processing suite. The SeaGuardian variant can conduct long maritime patrols using centerline radar pods for surface target detection, while both main versions can integrate Link 16, communications relay equipment, airborne early warning systems, and signals intelligence payloads. A joint effort by General Atomics and Saab is preparing an airborne early warning and control variant using a radar-equipped MQ-9B in Southern California to evaluate detection of air and missile threats, long-range tracking functions and multi-target processing under line-of-sight and satellite communications. To date, the MQ-9B supports humanitarian missions, disaster relief, border surveillance, search and rescue, air support, and over-the-horizon targeting, depending on operator requirements.
Several countries have already selected or are negotiating the purchase of MQ-9Bs. For instance, Belgium has ordered two MQ-9B systems comprising four aircraft for its air force, with initial deliveries completed in 2025 and infrastructure constructed at Florennes Air Base. Denmark has ordered four MQ-9B SeaGuardian systems for Arctic and North Atlantic surveillance to support national and allied operations. Qatar has signed a Letter of Acceptance for eight MQ-9B aircraft valued at close to $2 billion, making it the first Gulf state to acquire this category of U.S. unmanned aircraft. The United Arab Emirates continues to pursue an 18-unit SeaGuardian package originally linked to an F-35 arrangement but now under revision as a separate case with an updated configuration. If Saudi Arabia finalizes a package of 130 MQ-9Bs and 200 CCAs, it would become the largest operator of MQ-9Bs, and interest from other Gulf states suggests broader adoption of CCA-compatible unmanned systems across the region.
This large MQ-9B fleet would support Saudi Arabia’s efforts to expand land and maritime surveillance at a time when Houthi forces have demonstrated their capability to target U.S. MQ-9s with systems such as Iranian-supplied 358 missiles. This threat reinforces calls for enhanced protection against infrared, radiofrequency and cyber threats in any future Saudi configuration and aligns with efforts to shift from earlier reliance on Chinese and Turkish drones toward systems compatible with NATO standards. The adoption of these aircraft could improve coordination with U.S., Israeli, and Gulf air forces participating in regional security frameworks linked to the Abraham Accords, especially if combined with future F-35 deliveries and potential F-15EX procurement. In a region where multiple suppliers compete for unmanned aircraft contracts, the structure of the Saudi MQ-9B and Gambit program, including local manufacturing, technology transfer, and industrial offsets, will shape both national capabilities and wider patterns of defense cooperation across the Gulf.
Written by Jérôme Brahy
Jérôme Brahy is a defense analyst and documentalist at Army Recognition. He specializes in naval modernization, aviation, drones, armored vehicles, and artillery, with a focus on strategic developments in the United States, China, Ukraine, Russia, Türkiye, and Belgium. His analyses go beyond the facts, providing context, identifying key actors, and explaining why defense news matters on a global scale.
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General Atomics Aeronautical Systems confirms that discussions with Saudi Arabia are underway for a package that could include up to 130 MQ-9B and 200 Gambit drones, noting that the scope and configuration remain under review.
In an interview with Breaking Defense on November 18, 2025, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems President David Alexander confirmed that Saudi Arabia is negotiating a package that includes up to 130 MQ-9B drones equipped with short takeoff and landing (STOL) features, as well as up to 200 Gambit collaborative combat aircraft (CCAs), describing the discussions as ongoing and still subject to refinement. The discussions follow recent demonstrations of a Gambit drone controlled from an F-22 cockpit and coincide with updated political conditions that have enabled a renewed U.S.-Saudi defense cooperation.
Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link
General Atomics has also developed a short takeoff and landing kit based on components from its Mojave demonstrator, enabling MQ-9Bs to operate from short runways or aviation-capable ships by replacing wings, tail surfaces and propellers with optimized equivalents. (Picture source: Army Recognition)
Alexander stated that Saudi Arabia is negotiating a package that includes up to 130 MQ-9B drones equipped with short takeoff and landing (STOL) features, as well as up to 200 Gambit collaborative combat aircraft (CCAs), describing the discussions as ongoing and still subject to refinement. He explained that the proposal covers Gambit CCAs designed to operate in coordination with manned fighters, as recently demonstrated by a Gambit drone controlled from an F-22 cockpit using a tablet and a simple command interface. Alexander noted that initial conditions that had delayed a separate MQ-9B arrangement with the United Arab Emirates had been removed, allowing progress on a maritime MQ-9B configuration equipped with anti-submarine warfare components and five locally produced weapons. He added that the company displayed a full-scale model of the YFQ-42 Gambit prototype in Dubai and would bring it to major events in Qatar and Saudi Arabia to meet interest from other regional governments.
Alexander described the Saudi discussions as the largest potential international program his company has considered in the region and emphasized that the volume of drones involved (up to 330) would allow significant manufacturing, assembly and maintenance activity to be conducted inside the Kingdom. He explained that higher quantities make it easier to include indigenous content in both airframes and sensor systems, and that unmanned aircraft can be produced at a higher rate than manned fighters while allowing operators to employ coordinated swarms when required. He said the current talks revolve around up to 130 MQ-9Bs and up to 200 CCAs, while also noting that configurations may be updated to reflect delivery timelines, cost changes and operational needs that emerged after the long gap since the first Letter of Acceptance with the UAE. He also observed that almost all major international agreements in this category involve some degree of domestic participation, including maintenance facilities, sensor integration and the partial assembly used in India, the UAE, and Canada.
Saudi interest in the MQ-9B builds on several years of exchanges, including statements at IDEX 2025 indicating a substantial requirement for the SeaGuardian variant and a potential package that could create a large number of jobs in the United States while developing industrial activity in the Kingdom. Earlier proposals linked to a broader defense relationship valued at roughly $142 billion included air and space capabilities, missile defense, naval and coastal security improvements, border and ground force modernization and information system upgrades, with MQ-9Bs presented as part of that framework. Saudi Arabia had previously purchased Chinese CH-4 and Wing Loong II drones and acquired Turkish Akinci UAVs, while also expressing frustration with U.S. export delays and conditions that affected regional requests, such as Qatar’s attempt to acquire MQ-9Bs in 2021. The recent Strategic Defense Agreement between Washington and Riyadh established a non-NATO ally designation for Saudi Arabia and included approval for F-35 fighter jets and nearly 300 M1 Abrams tanks, creating a political environment in which the MQ-9B and Gambit CCA package is being pursued.
The MQ-9B family, including the SkyGuardian and SeaGuardian variants, was developed to meet NATO STANAG 4671 airworthiness standards and to function in civil airspace environments with detect-and-avoid systems, revised composite structures, and lightning protection measures. The unmanned aircraft has a wingspan of about 24 meters, a length of roughly 12 meters, a maximum external payload capacity of 2,155 kilograms on nine hardpoints and an internal payload capacity of approximately 363 kilograms, depending on the configuration. Endurance figures vary by mission but reach more than 27 hours in some profiles, with design specifications enabling more than 40 hours at altitudes approaching 15,000 meters using a Honeywell TPE331-10 turboprop engine. The airframe is designed for 40,000 flight hours and includes de-icing systems, lightning protection capabilities and structural features to support operations in adverse weather conditions across both military and civilian airspace.
Mission systems expand the MQ-9B’s operational roles to include a wide range of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance tasks as well as maritime, electronic and early warning missions. The drone carries a Lynx multi-mode radar and advanced electro-optical and infrared sensors, with optional equipment including a 360° maritime radar, automatic identification system (AIS) receivers, electronic warfare sensors and an anti-submarine warfare package using podded sonobuoy dispensers and an acoustic processing suite. The SeaGuardian variant can conduct long maritime patrols using centerline radar pods for surface target detection, while both main versions can integrate Link 16, communications relay equipment, airborne early warning systems, and signals intelligence payloads. A joint effort by General Atomics and Saab is preparing an airborne early warning and control variant using a radar-equipped MQ-9B in Southern California to evaluate detection of air and missile threats, long-range tracking functions and multi-target processing under line-of-sight and satellite communications. To date, the MQ-9B supports humanitarian missions, disaster relief, border surveillance, search and rescue, air support, and over-the-horizon targeting, depending on operator requirements.
Several countries have already selected or are negotiating the purchase of MQ-9Bs. For instance, Belgium has ordered two MQ-9B systems comprising four aircraft for its air force, with initial deliveries completed in 2025 and infrastructure constructed at Florennes Air Base. Denmark has ordered four MQ-9B SeaGuardian systems for Arctic and North Atlantic surveillance to support national and allied operations. Qatar has signed a Letter of Acceptance for eight MQ-9B aircraft valued at close to $2 billion, making it the first Gulf state to acquire this category of U.S. unmanned aircraft. The United Arab Emirates continues to pursue an 18-unit SeaGuardian package originally linked to an F-35 arrangement but now under revision as a separate case with an updated configuration. If Saudi Arabia finalizes a package of 130 MQ-9Bs and 200 CCAs, it would become the largest operator of MQ-9Bs, and interest from other Gulf states suggests broader adoption of CCA-compatible unmanned systems across the region.
This large MQ-9B fleet would support Saudi Arabia’s efforts to expand land and maritime surveillance at a time when Houthi forces have demonstrated their capability to target U.S. MQ-9s with systems such as Iranian-supplied 358 missiles. This threat reinforces calls for enhanced protection against infrared, radiofrequency and cyber threats in any future Saudi configuration and aligns with efforts to shift from earlier reliance on Chinese and Turkish drones toward systems compatible with NATO standards. The adoption of these aircraft could improve coordination with U.S., Israeli, and Gulf air forces participating in regional security frameworks linked to the Abraham Accords, especially if combined with future F-35 deliveries and potential F-15EX procurement. In a region where multiple suppliers compete for unmanned aircraft contracts, the structure of the Saudi MQ-9B and Gambit program, including local manufacturing, technology transfer, and industrial offsets, will shape both national capabilities and wider patterns of defense cooperation across the Gulf.
Written by Jérôme Brahy
Jérôme Brahy is a defense analyst and documentalist at Army Recognition. He specializes in naval modernization, aviation, drones, armored vehicles, and artillery, with a focus on strategic developments in the United States, China, Ukraine, Russia, Türkiye, and Belgium. His analyses go beyond the facts, providing context, identifying key actors, and explaining why defense news matters on a global scale.
