General Atomics & Calidus to co-produce MQ-9B and Gambit CCA aircraft in UAE
January 22, 2026
General Atomics is moving to establish MQ-9B and loyal wingman drone production in the UAE as demand for its advanced UAVs soars. This follows a broader pattern of US drone contractors producing their drones abroad and the UAE working to build up its defence industry.
GA to build M-9B & Gambit CCAs in UAE
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) has announced it has signed a memorandum of understanding with the UAE’s Calidus Aerospace to collaborate on co-producing its leading UAVs. It comes a couple of days after General Atomics announced a drone-related agreement with Qatar’s Barzan Holdings.
The agreement between GA-ASI and @Calidus_ae will support the increasing demand for MQ-9B #RPAS and Gambit #UCAV in the region and the world.
— General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc (GA-ASI) (@GenAtomics_ASI) January 20, 2026
Read the news: #MQ9B #GambitUAS pic.twitter.com/rJxknrVMSa
These include the popular MQ-9B SkyGuardian drone (based on the famous Predator series), its Gambit Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA), and command and control and battle management systems.
The MQ-9B is a high-endurance (40+ hours) ISR drone designed to patrol vast areas, while the Gambit CCA is a loyal wingman combat drone designed to operate with fighter jets.
The agreement was signed by representatives on the sidelines of UMEX and SimTEX 2026, held from January 20 to 22.
Gambit 6 is the newest variant of GA-ASI’s Gambit Series of modular uncrewed aircraft. By combining cutting-edge autonomy & artificial intelligence with a proven track record of comprehensive weapon systems integration, Gambit 6 ushers in a new era of #airpower to secure the… pic.twitter.com/SjvjuN1jak
— General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc (GA-ASI) (@GenAtomics_ASI) January 20, 2026
It is unclear how much of the production of these aircraft will take place in the UAE, but the agreement includes looking to collaborate with airframe manufacturing, final assembly, test and checkout, as well as flight operational test and acceptance.
UAE’s growing UAV industry
The move marks another significant milestone in the UAE’s efforts to develop a military drone industry. CEO Dr. Khalifa Murad Alblooshi of Calidus said the agreement “represents a strategic step towards strengthening and enabling the Group’s capabilities in the unmanned systems sector in line with user requirements.”
GA-ASI was honored to host @USAmbNATO @USEmbassyWarsaw @USEmbassyPrague @USAMBNL on their visit to Southern California; they toured the advanced manufacturing facility that produces the MQ-9B SkyGuardian, the Collaborative Combat Aircraft and other uncrewed systems. pic.twitter.com/I1w7m6IB6o
— General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc (GA-ASI) (@GenAtomics_ASI) January 20, 2026
For General Atomics, this represents the first time its drones will be built in the Middle East. But General Atomics is not the only US drone defence contractor looking to set up shop in the UAE as a hub for the Middle East.
In late 2025, the UAE’s EDGE Group unveiled that it will be co-producing the tail-sitting Omen drone with Andruil for regional customers.
There are also reports that EDGE Group is in the process of acquiring a major stake in Ukraine’s FirePoint, which manufactures Ukraine’s long-range attack drones.
Get the latest aerospace defence news here on AGN.
Germany is purchasing MQ-9B drones and producing UCAVs
Separately, UAS Magazine announced yesterday that Germany has agreed to buy eight MQ-9B SeaGuardian aircraft through the NATO Support and Procurement Agency.
The first of these is expected to be delivered in 2028 and will boost the country’s ISR capabilities, and will have an option to add anti-submarine warfare capability. They will be interoperable with Germany’s P-8A maritime patrol fleet.
Germany is now in a period of rapid rearmament and has an urgent requirement for 400 advanced combat drones. While the MQ-9B is not survivable in a high-end conflict, it is very useful for peacetime surveillance missions and low-threat environments.
There has been a string of announcements by US drone companies to manufacture variants of their drones in Germany in partnership with German firms. In July 2025, General Atomics announced it would build a variant of its YFQ-42A CCA in Germany.
General Atomics has MQ-9B contracts with the UK’s RAF (Protector RQ Mk1), Belgium, Canada, Denmark, India, Japan, Poland, Taiwan, and the US Air Force.
