Belgian aircrew completes MQ-9B SkyGuardian training with General Atomics

The programme included earlier phases conducted in Belgium and at GA-ASI’s Flight Test & Training Center in North Dakota. It focused on foundational skills essential to operating the MQ-9B and its associated systems.

These systems include the Multi-Spectral Targeting System (MTS), Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR), Mission Intelligence Station (MIS), and System for Tasking and Real-Time Exploitation (STARE). Training also covered Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) operations, instrument flying, and Automatic Takeoff and Landing Capability (ATLC).

“Providing all-encompassing training for the aircrews of our customers goes hand-in-hand with delivering the world’s most capable RPA,” said GA-ASI President David R. Alexander. “Completing this training ensures that Belgium is ready and able to operate their MQ-9Bs and maximize the benefits that come from long-range, high-endurance RPA.”

The first flight of Belgium’s MQ-9B took place in February 2025 and the aircraft is currently undergoing Acceptance Test Procedures. It is expected to arrive in Belgium before the end of September.

Belgium’s Ministry of Defence has procured four MQ-9B aircraft through a Foreign Military Sale agreement, which also includes two Certified Ground Control Stations. The MQ-9B is equipped to operate in unsegregated airspace and offers pole-to-pole SATCOM-only control with a GA-ASI-developed Detect and Avoid system.

The MQ-9B family includes the SkyGuardian and SeaGuardian variants and has been delivered to the UK’s Royal Air Force under the name Protector. Other customers include Canada, Poland, Japan, Taiwan, India, and the U.S. Air Force, with operations also extending to U.S. Navy exercises such as Northern Edge and Integrated Battle Problem.