On June 16, the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) released the approval of the United States Department of State for the potential sale of 4 additional MQ-9A Reaper Block 5 combat unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to the Netherlands, along with an associated ground equipment package for a maximum of USD 611 million.
The government in The Hague has requested the possibility of purchasing 4 MQ-9A Reaper aircraft in Block 5 (combat) configuration, three mobile Ground Control Stations (GCS), up to 30 GPS and INS navigation receivers with SAASM or M-Code cryptographic modules, up to 8 AN/DAS-1 MTS-B targeting systems, and up to 20 Lynx SAR/GMTI radars.
The package also includes Honeywell TPE331-10 turboprop engines, providing a flight endurance of up to 27 hours and a range of up to 1800 km, Leonardo/Selex ES Seaspray 7500E radars for surface and land surveillance, equipped with GMTI capability, Raytheon SeaVue maritime radars, LGMA M299 weapon pylons for AGM-114 Hellfire anti-tank guided missiles, AN/ARC-210 radios, Line-of-Sight data terminals, reinforced test stations for RAMTS aircraft maintenance, AN/APX-119 (or other) friend-or-foe identification transponders, KIV-77 friend-or-foe identification systems, KY-100M encrypted voice communication terminals, AN/PYQ-10 cryptographic modules, and ground-based satellite communication terminal subsystems.
“The proposed sale will improve the Netherlands’ capability to meet current and future threats. The MQ-9A aircraft will support Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance (ISTAR) missions as well as Air Attack and Counter Maritime Operation tasks. The Netherlands already has MQ-9A aircraft in its inventory and will have no difficulty absorbing these articles and services into its armed forces,” the DSCA said in a press release.
