Netherlands doubles order of MQ-9 Reaper drones, plans to arm them

Published on August 29, 2023

The Dutch government is doubling its order of MQ-9 Reaper drones from four to eight and plans to arm them with GBU-12 laser-guided bombs and AGM-114 Hellfire II air-to-surface missiles. This marks a shift from their original purpose for intelligence and surveillance to include offensive capabilities, in response to a changing global threat landscape. The purchase will be made through the U.S. government's Foreign Military Sales program and is expected to cost between $108 million and $270 million. The upgraded drones are expected to be fully operational by 2028 and reflect a wider European trend toward arming drones, influenced in part by Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

https://www.defensenews.com/global/europe/2023/08/29/netherlands-doubles-order-of-mq-9-reaper-drones-plans-to-arm-them/

 

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