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World Aviation Defense & Security News - the Netherlands
 
 
The US State Department approved FMS to the Netherlands for 4 MQ-9 Reaper UAVs
 
The US State Department approved a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Netherlands for 4 MQ-9 Reapers and associated equipment, parts and logistical support for an estimated cost of $339 million. The principal contractor will be General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. in San Diego, California.
     
The US State Department approved a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Netherlands for 4 MQ-9 Reapers and associated equipment, parts and logistical support for an estimated cost of $339 million. The principal contractor will be General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. in San Diego, California. General Atomics' MQ-9 Reaper Unmanned Aerial Vehicle
     
The Government of the Netherlands has requested a possible sale of: 4 MQ-9 Block 5 Reaper Remotely Piloted Aircraft, 4 Mobile Ground Control Stations Block 30 (option Block 50), 6 Honeywell TPE331-10T Turboprop Engines (4 installed and 2 spares), 2 SATCOM Earth Terminal Sub-System, 6 AN/DAS-1 Multi-Spectral Targeting Systems (MTS)-B, 4 General Atomics Lynx (exportable) Synthetic Aperture Radar/Ground Moving Target Indicator (SAR/GMTI) Systems, w/Maritime Wide Area Search capability, 2 Ruggedized Aircraft Maintenance Test Stations, 20 ARC-210 RT-1939 Radio Systems8 KY-1006 Common Crypto Modules, 8 Ku-band Link-Airborne Communications Systems, 4 KIV-77 Mode 4/5 Identification Friend or Foe, 4 AN/APX-119 Mode 4/5 Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) Transponder (515 Model), 14 Honeywell H-764 Adaptive Configurable Embedded Global Positioning System/Inertial Guidance Units (EGI) with Selective Availability Anti-Spoofing Module (SAASM) (12 installed and 2 spares)

Also provided are an Initial Spares Package (ISP) and Readiness Spares Package (RSP) to support 3400 Flight Hours for a three (3) year period, support and test equipment, publications and technical documentation, personnel training and training equipment, U.S. Government and contractor engineering, technical and logistics support services, and other related elements of logistical and program support. The estimated cost is $339 million.

On 21 November 2013, the Dutch Minister of Defense announced that the Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF) has selected the MQ-9 Reaper as its new MALE UAV. The new MALE UAV squadron will be based at Leeuwarden Air Base. The Dutch MQ-9 will have the standard SAR radar and also a special ground search radar with more range and electronic sensors to detect ground radar and signals. The RNLAF will buy one ground station and four MQ-9s, of which two will receive the special radar and the other two will receive the electronic sensors. The aircraft are to enter service in 2016 and should be fully operational at the end of 2017.

The Netherlands requests this capability to provide for the defense of its deployed troops, regional security, and interoperability with the U.S. The proposed sale will improve the Netherland’s capability to meet current and future threats by providing improved ISR coverage that promotes increased battlefield situational awareness, anticipates enemy intent, augments combat search and rescue, and provides ground troop support.

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