Defense Purchases Four MQ-9 Reapers Unmanned Aircraft
(Source: Netherlands Ministry of Defence; issued July 17, 2018)
(Issued in Dutch; unofficial translation by Defense-Aerospace.com)
Dutch General Arie Jan de Waard, head of the Dutch Defence Matériel Organization, signs the Letter of Acceptance for four MQ-9 Reaper unmanned aircraft at the Farnborough airshow. The first aircraft will arrive in late 2019. (Twitter photo)
In 2015 the purchase was postponed, but thanks to the extra money from this cabinet, the aircraft can now be purchased. The expectation is that the Reapers will come to the Netherlands from the summer of 2020.
Signed Letter of Acceptance with General Hooper Director Defence Security Cooperation Agency at Farnborough Air Show for 4 MQ Reapers: first to be delivered end 2019 pic.twitter.com/uDxMUvlwMI
— Arie Jan de Waard (@ariejandewaard) July 17, 2018
Tweet by Arie Jan de Waard, the director of the Dutch defense procurement agency, Defensie Materieel Organisatie (DMO.).
The MQ-9 Reaper is a so-called MALE UAV (medium-altitude long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicle). This unmanned aircraft can be used 24 hours a day to a height of approximately 13 kilometers.
Can be used worldwide
The aircraft can be used worldwide for various (observation) missions. The collected information is used for intelligence products that can make a valuable contribution to military missions. It may also concern humanitarian operations or support to civilian authorities.
The agreement involves not only the devices, but also sensors such as cameras and ground stations.
A MALE UAV system consists of 4 aircraft and 4 ground stations. Two ground stations are required for flights from the home base and two for take-off and landing from a deployment location.
Contact between the different parts of the system is done by satellite connection.
The Reapers are assigned to the 306 Squadron that is being reactivated, and will operate from Leeuwarden Air Base.
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GA-ASI Selected to Provide RPAS to Royal Netherlands Defence Force
(Source: General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc.; issued July 17, 2018)
“We are extremely pleased to have the opportunity to meet the UAS requirements of the Royal Netherlands Air Force,” said Linden Blue, CEO of GA-ASI. “We are committed to providing a NATO-interoperable solution that enhances the ISR capabilities of the Netherlands and the Alliance.”
GA-ASI will deliver its Predator B/MQ-9 Reaper Medium Altitude, Long-endurance (MALE) UAS to the Dutch Military. The existing MQ-9 fleet has logged over two million operational flight hours with the USAF, UK RAF, Italian and French Air Forces, NASA and the US DHS. The Spanish Air Force is scheduled to take delivery of MQ-9 systems in 2019.
The multi-mission Predator B has up to 26 hours of flight endurance and carries HD-video sensors (optical and IR), ground-imaging/MTI/maritime radar, and other surveillance sensors. The aircraft features an extensive payload capacity (386 kg internally, 1361 kg externally), with a maximum altitude of 45,000 feet/13700 meters.
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI), an affiliate of General Atomics, is the world’s leading designer and manufacturer of proven, reliable Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), radars, and electro-optic and related mission systems, including the Predator, Reaper and Gray Eagle UAS programs of record and the Lynx Multi-mode Radar. With more than 5 million flight hours, GA-ASI provides long-endurance, multi-mission capable aircraft with integrated sensor and data link systems required to deliver persistent flight, enabling situational awareness and rapid strike.
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