The Belgian Air Force (BeAF) has announced that on August 20, the first of four MQ-9B SkyGuardian MALE (Medium Altitude Long Endurance) UAS ordered in August 2020 arrived at the Florennes air base in Belgium.
The inaugural flight in Belgium is scheduled for September 23, following the reassembly of the aircraft after it was disassembled and air transported to Europe, and after completing ground tests.
Use by the BeAF
The SkyGuardian will be used by BeAF’s 2nd Squadron to carry out intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions, and target identification (ISTAR) in support of F-35A fighter bombers currently replacing the existing F-16A/B MLU. It will be equipped with optoelectronic observation and targeting systems and the AN/APY-8 Lynx surveillance radar.
Ahead of the delivery of MQ-9Bs, the Florennes base underwent adaptation work amounting to about 23 million euros. This included the construction of a maintenance hangar that can concurrently accommodate two SkyGuardians, mission control buildings, and workshops and warehouses for parts management.
The aircraft, manufactured by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. (GA-ASI), ensures unparalleled operational flexibility and the highest interoperability with allied and coalition partners, as it is designed to comply with NATO standards.
The SkyGuardian is certified to fly in civil airways thanks to the Detect and Avoid system developed by North American Manufacturer General Atomics for identification and collision avoidance with commercial aircraft.
Characteristics of the MQ-9B SkyGuardian
The SkyGuardian has a wingspan of 24 meters including the winglets and can remain aloft for 40 hours at 50,000 feet.
The maximum takeoff weight (MTOW) is 12,500 lb (5,670 kg), and it can transport 4,750 lb (2,155 kg) of payload on 9 hardpoints (8 under the wings and one under the fuselage).
The aircraft is designed to operate in any weather conditions, possessing lightning protection, a damage-resistant cell, altitude wind gust resistance, and a wing de-icing and anti-ice system.
At present, the Belgian SkyGuardians are not armed, but the aircraft leave the factory already prepared for the deployment of air-to-ground weapons for precision attacks. The decision to arm them is solely political and does not require any additional development and certification activity.
In addition to the four aircraft, under the contract, the Belgian Air Force will receive two certifiable ground control stations (CGCS) and spare parts from GA-ASI, as well as five years of training and support, along with a complete synthetic training system including desktop and high fidelity mission simulators specifically for the Sky Guardian developed by CAE.
Source and credit: @Belgian Air Force
