MQ-9B Completes Flight Into Known Icing Tests to Boost All-Weather Ops
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc.’s (GA-ASI) MQ-9B drone has completed tests to certify it for Flight Into Known Icing (FIKI) conditions.
With internal funding and using a company-owned MQ-9B remotely piloted aircraft, tests ran from last year into early April 2026 at GA-ASI’s Flight Test & Training Center near Grand Forks, North Dakota.
Testing for FIKI conditions, or areas with known ice buildup on aircraft, follows earlier flight tests that evaluated characteristics with simulated ice shapes on the drone, as well as Cold Weather Validation and Arctic flights.
This is part of certification work that can officially expand its all-weather surveillance capabilities, proving especially useful to the countries within or near the Arctic Circle that have ordered the MQ-9B, including Canada and Denmark.
Canada, which ordered 11 SkyGuardians, sent officials to witness parts of the flight test period and use relevant data for MQ-9B FIKI certification.
“We’ve approached these flight tests with great rigor,” said GA-ASI President David R. Alexander.
“GA-ASI became the first [remotely piloted aircraft] developer to receive a Military Type Certificate for MQ-9B (RAF Protector) last year, and now we’re taking steps toward certifying the platform for FIKI. It’s taking the resolve of GA-ASI to get this done for our user base.”
MQ-9B Upgrade Efforts
GA-ASI continues to pursue upgrades on the MQ-9B.
Under a US Marine Corps contract, the drone is set to be integrated with a Knox-5 processor from Ultra Intelligence & Communications to boost its onboard data processing capabilities.
The MQ-9B, designed for persistent intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance as well as strike missions, is also being prepared to launch munitions at extended distances.
This follows news of GA-ASI reportedly eyeing Lockheed Martin’s Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile and Long-Range Anti-Ship Missile as potential payloads to be fitted on the aircraft.
