Login
iscover
The Netherlands is set to commence operating the remotely piloted drones after accepting three platforms into service.
To continue reading the rest of this article, please log in.
Create free account to get unlimited news articles and more!
US-based defence contractor General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI) has supplied the Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF) with three of four MQ-9A Block 5 Remotely Piloted Aircraft – also referred to as “Reapers” – and two Mobile Ground Control Stations.
The RNLAF’s 306 squadron is expected to begin deploying the aircraft later this month for long-range, persistent surveillance missions from its base in Curacao.
“The MQ-9A Reaper will be very valuable for information-driven operations with the Royal Netherlands Air Force and the Netherlands’ armed forces in general,” Lieutenant-Colonel Boudewijn Roddenhof, commander of the RNLAF’s 306 squadron, said.
“We will operationally test and evaluate the system during our deployment to Curacao and expect it to be a valuable asset for the Commander of Netherlands Forces in the Caribbean.”
Netherlands has acquired the platforms via a foreign military sale worth an estimated US$339 million (AU$455 million) in 2015.
“We’re thrilled to deliver the unique capabilities of our MQ-9A Block 5 RPA to the Netherlands, and we know this capability will significantly enhance their operations,” GA-ASI vice-president of international strategic development Robert Schoeffling said.
MQ-9A Block 5 is reportedly capable of an endurance of over 27 hours, speed of 240 KTAS and can operate up to 50,000 feet.
The platform has a 1,746-kilogram payload capacity, which includes 1,361 kilograms of external stores.
The Reapers are built with a full-motion video and synthetic aperture radar/moving target indicator/maritime radar and equipped with a fault-tolerant flight control system and triple redundant avionics system architecture.
The MQ-9A Reaper is an early variant of the MQ-9B Sky Guardian, the latter of which contains both hardware and software upgrades.
The Australian government recently cancelled its AIR 7003 Phase 1 project – a $1.3 billion program to deliver Sky Guardians to the Royal Australian Air Force.
The government had already spent approximately $10 million on the program, which secured approval for up to 12 aircraft from the US State Department in April last year.
The program was scrapped following advice from Defence officials, with government deciding to reallocate funds for Project REDSPICE (Resilience, Effects, Defence, Space, Intelligence, Cyber, and Enablers) – a $9.9 billion investment over the next decade in the Australian Signals Directorate (ASD).
The Department of Defence issued a statement defending the move, claiming the REDSPICE investment aligns with measures outlined in the 2020 Defence Strategic Update and 2020 Force Structure Plan.
“These documents outlined the requirement for force structure and capability adjustments focused on regional contingencies, and which were flexible enough to respond to grey-zone challenges that threaten our national interests – including the possibility of high-intensity conflict and domestic crises,” a spokesperson said.
“This includes developing capabilities such as longer-range strike weapons, cyber capabilities and area denial systems to hold adversary forces further from Australia and protect infrastructure at risk.”
Defence pointed to the changing nature of the modern warfare environment, noting cyber attacks are “now commonly preceding or deployed in concert with other forms of military intervention”.
“Defence’s REDSPICE project delivers a real increase in the potency and resilience of the Australian Signal Directorate to block sophisticated cyber attacks against our critical infrastructure, and strike back if needed,” the spokesperson added.
“It will also ensure Australia’s cyber and intelligence capabilities remain resilient to attack.”
[Related: Defence rejects criticism over SkyGuardian scrapping ]
