TSAMTO, July 13. On July 7, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) announced the roll-out ceremony of the first of four MQ-9A "Reaper" UAVs of the Block.5 version ordered by the Dutch Air Force.
Currently, the first ground control station is also ready. As stated, the acceptance tests of the UAV will begin in the first quarter of next year at the GA-ASI Gray Butte flight base in the Palmdale area (California), after which it will be delivered to the Netherlands.
All UAVs should be transferred to the 306th Squadron of the Netherlands Air Force, stationed at Leeuwarden Air Base (the Netherlands). A group of pilots and payload operators from the Dutch Armed Forces were trained in the use of complexes at the US Air Force base "Holloman "(pcs.New Mexico), starting in 2018. The delivery was somewhat delayed due to problems with the allocation of funds for its implementation.
At the beginning of 2021, the Dutch Air Force received ground-based satellite communication terminals (SETSS), which will be necessary for the use of the MQ-9.
As reported by TSAMTO, in February 2015, the US State Department approved the supply of four MQ-9 "Riper" Block unmanned aerial vehicles to the Netherlands under the "Foreign Military Sales" program.5, four mobile ground control stations unit.30 (optional Block.50), two satellite communication system terminals, six multispectral target designation systems (MTS) - B AN/DAS-1, as well as other related equipment and services worth up to $ 339 million.
In July 2018, GA-ASI officially announced that it had been selected as a supplier of unmanned aircraft systems for the Dutch Air Force based on the results of an evaluation of options conducted by the Dutch Ministry of Defense.
A letter of offer and acceptance (LOA) for the supply of UAVs was signed in July 2018.
The first contract for the supply of four MQ-9 "Reaper" UAVs of the Block version within the framework of the "Foreign Military Sales" program.5, four mobile ground control stations, spare parts and related equipment for the Dutch Armed Forces was signed by the US Air Force with GA-ASI in March 2019. The cost of this agreement was $ 123.293 million.
In addition to the Dutch Armed Forces, the MQ-9A "Riper" UAV was purchased by the armed Forces of Great Britain, Italy, France and Spain. The armed forces of Great Britain and Belgium are also customers of the MQ-9B UAV.