With help from the NATO Help and Procurement Company, Denmark has ordered 4 MQ-9B SkyGuardian plane from GA-ASI together with three Licensed Floor Management Stations (CGCS).
Denmark joins a rising assortment of countries choosing the most recent variant of the MQ-9, which importantly gives further options and redundancies that enable operation exterior of segregated airspace alongside basic air site visitors.
MQ-9B was granted a Navy Sort Certificates (MTC) by the UK Navy Aviation Authority in Might 2025, changing into the primary massive uncrewed plane to take action. For European nations, with dense airspace and enormous quantities of civilian air site visitors, the flexibility to function in normal airspace with out restriction is important for routine flight.
The plane have been procured with help from the NATO Help and Procurement Company (NSPA), who’re in a position to act as liaisons between NATO nations and plane producers to ease the procurement course of and supply a contractual framework for sure sorts of navy gear which might be seen as strategic enablers for the alliance as a complete.
GA-ASI President David R. Alexander famous that 2025 has been a productive yr for the corporate and for MQ-9B. “First, we earned MTC and now we’ve added Denmark to the U.Ok., Belgium, and Poland as MQ-9B clients in Europe. I imagine the intensive waters of the North Sea, Norwegian Sea, and Baltic Sea of the Nordic international locations make the MQ-9B a really efficient device for nationwide maritime surveillance and safety.”
The latter level is a crucial consideration for Denmark, whose maritime space of curiosity spans not solely round its personal borders but additionally round these of the Faroe Islands and of Greenland. This successfully spans the Greenland-Iceland-UK (GIUK) Hole that options strongly when it comes to NATO strategic planning for the defence of the Atlantic Ocean.
Statements made by U.S. President Donald Trump suggesting Greenland could possibly be seized and integrated into america have made Denmark’s defence of the abroad territory a selected precedence. Now we have beforehand reported on a latest deployment of Danish F-16s to the territory.
Many Danes say they’re heartbroken by how the U.S. has turned from greatest buddy to foe over Greenland
— The Wall Road Journal (@WSJ) July 23, 2025
MQ-9B is licensed for operations in excessive chilly climate environments, that includes anti-icing and de-icing methods, and compatibility with the European Galileo satellite tv for pc navigation system ensures correct positioning in polar areas with comparatively restricted International Positioning System protection.
Constructed-in optical, infrared, and radar-based sensors supply an efficient maritime surveillance functionality as delivered. Further methods might be built-in in underslung pods, with GA-ASI creating sonobuoy meting out methods for anti-submarine warfare (ASW), intelligence gathering pods with geolocation applied sciences, and digital warfare (EW) pods for space denial duties.
Communications may also be bolstered utilizing podded methods, with the LAC-12 offering a laser communications functionality, and Rosetta Echo Superior Payload (REAP) providing the plane the flexibility to behave as a communications node for civilian and navy emergency response forces.
MQ-9B SeaGuardian® units the usual for superior, persistent unmanned ISR&T operations, delivering unmatched reliability and flexibility for maritime protection and safety. Constructed on a confirmed legacy of #RPAS innovation, MQ-9B offers multi-mission flexibility with assured… pic.twitter.com/ysBi4oGYFj
— Normal Atomics Aeronautical Techniques, Inc (GA-ASI) (@GenAtomics_ASI) July 23, 2025
Mixed with the plane’s endurance, providing over 24 hours of flight time, and diminished per-flight hour working prices, MQ-9B will assist to supply extra persistent and responsive maritime patrol protection throughout Denmark’s marine territories. With no devoted maritime patrol plane, Denmark’s present maritime and land surveillance functionality is fulfilled by a small fleet of multirole Challenger 604 enterprise jets. Three plane are geared up for this process, whereas the fourth serves in a VIP and liaison capability. Substitute efforts for the Challenger started in 2024.
The 4 MQ-9Bs are anticipated to be delivered between 2028 and 2029. Three Licensed Floor Management Stations (CGCS), specifically developed to allow operation in common airspace, will enable a excessive tempo of plane employment.
