US officially announces Belgian FMS deal for SkyGuardian
FMS customer Belgium is to receive four MQ-9B SkyGuardian UAVs, two ground stations, spare parts and support equipment from General Atomics Aeronautical Systems.
Work on the $188.87 million contract from the US Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, confirmed on 14 August, will be completed by 31 March 2024.
FMS funds of $94.34 million are being obligated at the time of award.
SkyGuardian is a variant of the Predator B that was developed to meet European and US Federal Aviation Administration airworthiness certification standards.
Previous FMS orders for the UAV have been placed by Australia and the UK, according to Shephard Defence Insight.
The SkyGuardian deal for Belgium was approved in March 2019, and nine Belgian companies are involved in the industry team tasked with delivering the system.
As part of our promise to deliver comprehensive coverage to our Defence Insight and Premium News subscribers, our curated defence news content provides the latest industry updates, contract awards and programme milestones.
Related Programmes in Defence Insight
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
More from Uncrewed Vehicles
-
Cummings Aerospace showcases Hellhound loitering munition designed for US Army’s LASSO programme (video)
Cummings Aerospace presented its turbojet-powered Hellhound loitering munition at SOF Week 2025, offering a man-portable solution aligned with the US Army’s LASSO requirements.
-
SOF Week 2025: PDW unveils attritable FPV drone for SOF operations at scale
PDW has revealed its Attritable Multirotor First Person View drone at SOF Week 2025, offering special operations forces a low-cost, rapidly deployable platform for strike and ISR missions, inspired by battlefield lessons from Ukraine.
-
SOF Week 2025: Teledyne FLIR white paper provides guidance on reusable loitering munitions
Teledyne FLIR is highlighting the emerging requirements for 'recoverable and re-usable' loitering munitions across the contemporary operating environment during this week’s SOF Week conference in Tampa, Florida.
-
SOF Week 2025: Kraken Technology group debuts K3 Scout USV in North America
High-performance maritime industry player Kraken Technology Group, based in the UK, has used the SOF Week conference in Tampa, Florida this week to debut its K3 Scout uncrewed surface vessel (USV) to the North American market.
-
Palladyne AI and Red Cat to demonstrate capabilities for autonomous drone swarms to the US military
Red Cat and Palladyne AI recently conducted a cross-platform collaborative flight involving three diverse heterogeneous drones.
-
Jammer resistant drone designs spark search for countermeasures
The Russia-Ukraine conflict has driven another stage of evolution for drones and the counter measures to defend against them.