Defense signs contract to purchase four Reaper UAVs

The defense signed a contract for the purchase of four MQ-9 harvesters. These unmanned aircraft are intended for intelligence gathering during military missions, but may also be deployed in disaster areas.

The United States is expected to deliver drones in the summer of 2020. The 11-meter-long aircraft can be used worldwide up to a height of about 13 kilometers . They will be stationed at Leeuwarden Air Base. Drones can be controlled from the Netherlands

Unarmed

The four Reapers are unarmed, but with a small adjustment they can carry weapons. Americans use drones in the Middle East, among other things, when they stop terrorists.

Unmanned aircraft were to be purchased in 2015, but the purchase was abandoned due to lack of money at the Ministry of Defense. At training, it was agreed that more money would go to the armed forces. The four planes today cost 179 million euros.

Each year, at least 25 million euros are added to operating costs. If the Reavers are deployed during missions, this amount can reach 85 million euros per year

The contract with the United States was signed at the Farnborough International Airshow in England. With the purchase not only the devices are involved, but also four ground stations and sensors such as cameras.