GA-ASI nets MQ-9B order from Denmark, with Belgium poised for additional buy
An edited image of the new Danish MQ-9B aircraft. (Image: Denmark Ministry of Defence)
The acquisition of the MQ-9B UAVs will work to strengthen both Denmark’s and Belgium’s defences as well as boost the countries’ contribution to NATO, with Norway also a potential country on the list to buy the aircraft.
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems’ (GA-ASI) MQ-9B uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) has seen renewed momentum, with two European countries announcing recent procurement plans: Denmark purchasing four MQ-9B SkyGuardian UAVs and Belgium intending to purchase a third MQ-9B UAV by 2027.
Denmark has long sought a long-endurance drone for Arctic and North Atlantic intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities. Deliveries of the drones are expected between 2028 and 2029, according to Denmark’s Defence Materiel and Procurement Agency (FMI).
In December 2024, Danish Minister of Defense, Troels Lund Poulsen, announced that Denmark would spend “a double-digit billion [Krone]” on North Atlantic and Arctic
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