Netherlands Air Force doubles order of MQ-9A Reaper combat drones from 4 to 8 aircraft.

The Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF) is set to increase its procurement of MQ-9A Reaper Remotely Piloted Aircraft, expanding the total order quantity from four to eight aircraft. The initial delivery to the RNLAF in 2022 included four MQ-9A Block 5 Reapers along with their corresponding Ground Control Stations. The MQ-9A platform is the creation of General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI).

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The first GA-ASI MQ-9A Reaper delivered to the Royal Netherlands Air Force  (Picture source: Dutch MoD)

“We are doubling the number of MQ-9A Reapers so we can increase our maritime and overland intelligence, reconnaissance, surveillance (ISR) capacity,” said Lieutenant-Colonel Jan Ruedisueli, commander of the RNLAF’s 306 squadron that operates the new MQ-9A Reapers. “The MQ-9As will receive external pods for Electronic Intelligence, a communications relay, a Maritime Radar, and also be armed in the future.”

The delivery of the MQ-9As, their Ground Control Stations, and support equipment is part of a USAF Foreign Military Sale to the RNLAF. “We’re thrilled that the first set of Dutch Reapers has made such a positive impact on the RNLAF,” said GA-ASI President David R. Alexander. “With this new set of capabilities, the Netherlands will have the most capable set of MQ-9 Block 5 aircraft in the world. They have customized the Dutch MQ-9As to meet the Netherlands’ expanding mission set.”

MQ-9A Block 5 has an endurance of up to 27 hours, is capable of speeds up to 240 KTAS and can operate up to 40,000 feet. It has a 3,850-pound (1,746-kilogram) payload capacity that includes 3,000 pounds (1,361 kilograms) of external stores. It provides a long-endurance, persistent surveillance capability with Full-Motion Video and Synthetic Aperture Radar/Moving Target Indicator/Maritime Radar. An extremely reliable aircraft, MQ-9A Block 5 is equipped with a fault-tolerant flight control system and triple redundant avionics system architecture. It is engineered to meet and exceed manned aircraft reliability standards.