Belgian aircrew completes MQ-9B training

The first Belgian aircrew has completed training to operate the MQ-9B SkyGuardian. General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI), designer and developer of the MQ-9B, provided the aircrew training that culminated at GA-ASI's Desert Horizon test facility in El Mirage, California, following stops in Belgium and GA-ASI's Flight Test & Training Center in North Dakota.

"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 scope of the training focuses on the foundational skills required to operate the MQ-9B SkyGuardian air vehicle and its associated equipment, including the Multi-Spectral Targeting System (MTS), Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR), Mission Intelligence Station (MIS), and System for Tasking and Real-Time Exploitation (STARE). Training involves building solid foundations for both normal and emergency operations in Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) systems, instrument flying, Automatic Takeoff and Landing Capability (ATLC), and more.

The first flight of Belgium's initial MQ-9B aircraft took place in February. That aircraft will soon complete Acceptance Test Procedures and is expected to arrive in Belgium by the end of September. It's the first of a four-aircraft purchase by the Belgian Ministry of Defence. The Foreign Military Sale (FMS) to Belgium also includes two Certified Ground Control Stations.

(article source: General Atomics / editor: Anton van Rijsbergen)
(image source: General Atomics)