Belgium Receives Its First Skyguardian

Belgium’s first MQ-9B “SkyGuardian” drone, designed for long-range intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions, landed astatine Melsbroek subject airdrome connected Monday, nan Defence Ministry announced.

This precocious drone is nan first remotely piloted craft strategy built and certified to strict standards balanced to those of parented aircraft, enabling it to besides run successful civilian airspace, nan ministry explained.

“This is simply a milestone for our aerial force. With nan MQ-9B SkyGuardian, we are entering nan Champions League of subject drones,” said Theo Francken, nan Defence Minister. Responding to nan De Tijd, a Belgian newspaper that published nan communicative calling nan SkyGuardian “Defence’s caller toy”, Francken wrote connected X that ”Uh, excuse me? ‘Defence’s newest toy’?! Our soldiers are not children. And defence is not child’s play. What an embarrassing title. This only fuels nan extremist sermon that investing successful defence is simply a discarded of money, and that it is nan activity of warmongers who for illustration to play pinch costly toys. I’m shocked that a value newspaper for illustration @tijd rides on pinch that frame. Who do you deliberation our soldiers are? A bunch of irresponsible toddlers?”

The first of 4 MQ-9Bs, second, soon

Belgium has purchased 4 MQ-9B ‘SkyGuardian’ drones to bolster its defence and intelligence capabilities successful ray of nan threat they judge Russia is progressively posing. The drone is nan first precocious surveillance craft remotely piloted, built and certified to strict standards balanced to those of a parented vessel, enabling it to besides run successful civilian airspace, according to nan Defence Ministry.

A 2nd ‘SkyGuardian’ is expected to get successful autumn, pinch some drones group to heighten Belgium’s publication to NATO’s drone conjugation operations, nan Brussels Times reported. Belgium joined nan conjugation earlier this twelvemonth aft appointing Lieutenant General Michel Van Strythem, a erstwhile caput of nan Cyber Component, to lead its caller ‘Drones and Innovation’ Task Force. To support nan MQ-9B programme, Belgium reinstated its 2nd squadron successful 2024, which operates retired of Florennes Air Base. That portion was initially dissolved successful 2001, but was explicitly restructured to negociate nan cutting-edge drone systems.