General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. will provide logistics and sustainment services to the Belgian Air Force.
The U.S. Air Force awarded the California-based company with a $48.54 million undefinitized contract action to support Belgium’s fleet of MQ-9B SkyGuardian. Under the deal, GA-ASI will provide depot repair, engineering, software and field team support from its facilities in Poway City until Dec. 31, 2025.
The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio serves as the contracting activity.
Brussels first signed a contract to acquire nearly $190 million worth of remotely piloted aircraft systems from GA-ASI in 2020. In June, the Belgian Ministry of Defence announced that the first batch of SkyGuardian crews completed initial training at a General Atomics facility in North Dakota.
The SkyGuardian is designed to operate via satellite for over 40 hours, delivering persistent intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance in any type of weather anywhere in the world. The aircraft is equipped with the Lynx Multi-mode Radar, which promises high-resolution imagery captured through clouds, smoke or dust. The RPAS is capable of automatic takeoff and landing and can integrate seamlessly into civil airspace.
Aside from Belgium, Italy, France, Spain, Taiwan, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and the United States also operate MQ-9Bs.
