TSAMTO, December 2. On November 29, the US Department of Defense announced the signing of an additional contract by the US Air Force Command with General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. (GA-ASI) as part of the delivery of the MQ-9 Reaper UAV version Block.5 for the Netherlands Air Force.
The value of the agreement concluded within the framework of the "Foreign Military Sales" program amounted to $10.378 million. The work will be carried out at the GA-ASI facility in Poway (California) and is expected to be completed by December 31, 2021.
As TSAMTO reported, in February 2015, the US State Department approved the potential supply of four MQ-9 Reaper Block UAVs to the Netherlands as part of the Foreign Military Sales program.5, four mobile ground control stations unit.30 (optional Block.50), two satellite communication system terminals, six multispectral targeting systems (MTS)-B AN/DAS-1, other related equipment and services worth up to $339 million.
A letter of Offer and Acceptance (Letter of Offer and Acceptance – LOA) for the supply of UAVs for the Netherlands Air Force was signed by the parties during the International Air Show in Farnborough (UK) in July 2018. At the same time, GA-ASI signed an agreement on industrial participation with the Ministry of Economy of the Netherlands.
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 Netherlands Air Force was signed by the US Air Force with GA-ASI in March 2019. The cost of this agreement was $123.293 million.
The rollout of the first MQ-9A "Riper", intended for the Netherlands Air Force, took place at the GA-ASI enterprise in Poway (California) in July 2021. According to available information, acceptance tests of the UAV will begin early next year at the Gray Butte GA-ASI base in the Palmdale area (California), after which it will be delivered to the Netherlands.
All UAVs must be transferred to the 306 Squadron of the Netherlands Air Force, stationed at the Leeuwarden Air Base (Netherlands).
