Denmark buys four MQ-9B SkyGuardian remotely piloted aircraft
23 July 2025
Denmark and the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) have announced the procurement of four MQ-9B SkyGuardian Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) from General Atomics Aeronautical Systems. The purchase includes three Certified Ground Control Stations.
Denmark joins a list of European countries that have selected MQ-9B. The platform provides pole-to-pole satellite control and de-icing capabilities to enable missions in the harsh conditions of the Arctic in support of Denmark and its NATO Allies. Additionally, MQ-9B's in-house-developed Detect and Avoid System aids MQ-9B's ability to fly in unsegregated airspace for domestic civilian operations.
MQ-9B recently became the first large remotely piloted aircraft to obtain a Military Type Certificate (MTC) from the U.K.'s Military Aviation Authority, certifying its safe operation without geographic restrictions, including over populous areas.
"It's been a very productive year for our MQ-9B platforms," said GA-ASI President David R. Alexander. "First, we earned MTC and now we've added Denmark to the U.K., Belgium, and Poland as MQ-9B customers in Europe. I believe the extensive waters of the North Sea, Norwegian Sea, and Baltic Sea of the Nordic countries make the MQ-9B a very effective tool for national maritime surveillance and security."
The MQ-9B SkyGuardian offers multi-domain Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance, and Targeting (ISR&T) as an internal payload that can search the ocean's surface and its depths. MQ-9Bs can also be fitted with a number of payloads, including a maritime surveillance package with a 360-degree maritime radar and/or sonobuoy dispensing pods.
(article source: General Atomics / editor: Anton van Rijsbergen)