Dutch MQ-9A Reaper drones will be armed with missiles and bombs. Defense Minister Christophe van der Maat announced this on Tuesday.
What is known
According to the head of the Dutch defense establishment, the procurement of weapons for unmanned aerial vehicles was set out in a 2022 defense memorandum. The goal is to reduce reaction time and increase flexibility during the deployment of ground forces.
Initially, a European country ordered MQ-9A Reaper drones for reconnaissance, surveillance and reconnaissance. The program started in 2011. At that time, the Netherlands did not see the point in arming drones, but over the decade the picture of threats has changed a lot. Reaper should now be able to defend ground troops.
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. (GA-ASI) has already donated four MQ-9A drones to the Netherlands. They will be upgraded to carry GBU-12 precision bombs and AGM-114 Hellfire II air-to-surface missiles. At the same time, modernization is not planned for six future drones. They will be delivered in 2026.
The missiles and bombs will be sold through the US Foreign Military Sales program under the Arms Export Control Act. The cost is estimated at $110-270 million. The initial combat readiness is planned for 2025, and the full one – for 2028.
Source: Janes
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