NIAR Concludes Structural Test Campaign for MQ-9B, Reinforcing the Strength of Its Composite Airframe
BY Composights
Published: 02 Dec 2025
Wichita State
University s National Institute for Aviation Research (NIAR) recently
completed a long-term full-scale fatigue test program with General Atomics
Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI)
for the MQ-9B Remotely Piloted Aircraft.
The MQ-9B features a
composite-rich airframe including a GKN
Aerospace-manufactured composite V-tail that delivers higher structural
integrity and a longer service life compared to the earlier MQ-9A platform,
making this milestone especially significant.
The program, which began Dec. 13, 2022, was for the third
and final lifetime of the MQ-9B, encompassing a total of 120,000 operating
hours (40,000+ flight hours per aircraft life). This test verifies the
structural integrity of the airframe and marks a key milestone in validating
the vehicle s design.
The aim of the test campaign is to identify any potential
structural deficiencies ahead of fleet usage and support the development of
inspection and maintenance schedules for the airframe. The resulting data will
be used for certification documentation and will inform in-service inspections
of structural components.
The completion of our full-scale fatigue test validates years of GA-ASI design and analysis efforts, said GA-ASI President David R. Alexander. The first two lifetimes simulated the operation of the aircraft under normal conditions, and the third intentionally inflicted damage to the airframe s critical components to demonstrate.
Testing was conducted by NIAR s Full-Scale Structural Test Lab located at NIAR s Aircraft Structural Test and Evaluation Center in Park City, Kan.
We are thrilled to wrap up this three-year test program with General Atomics, said Brandon Baier, director of NIAR s Full-Scale Structural Test Lab. The partnership between NIAR and GA-ASI test engineers was one of the most unique and impressive I have experienced. Both parties worked together consistently and seamlessly to keep the program on track.
MQ-9B is GA-ASI s most advanced RPA and includes the SkyGuardian and SeaGuardian models, as well as the new Protector RG Mk1 currently being delivered to the United Kingdom s Royal Air Force (RAF).
